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AIMAN AMERUL MUNER/Stuff
Visitors at the Church of the Good Shepherd on Sunday evening as snow falls on nearby mountains around Lake Tekapo.
MetService has issued a new severe thunderstorm watch as wet and windy weather continues to hit many places across the North Island.
The watch, valid over 11 hours from 9pm Monday night to 8am Tuesday, covered the Coromandel and Bay of Plenty, with downpours of 25 to 40mm possible in some areas, it warns.
The watch came after widespread heavy rain, strong winds and thunderstorms led to surface flooding, ferry cancellations and safety warnings on the final day of the long weekend.
MetService has issued a heavy rain watch for Gisborne and north of Tokomaru Bay from 8pm on Monday till 6pm on Tuesday.
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The Coromandel Peninsula is also under a heavy rain warning from 8pm Monday until 12pm Tuesday. Locals can expect around 80 to 120mm of rain.
Strong wind and heavy rain watches are also in place for much of the North Island and the top of the South for Monday evening and Tuesday.
A slow-moving front will pass over the country to end the long weekend.
The weather front is expected to ease off through Monday evening and into Tuesday as the system travels north.
“There’s some showers in Christchurch but the rest of the south island is looking pretty good,” said MetService weather forecaster Tuporo Masters.
“They may get some frost in the morning.”
Taupo, Tongariro National Park, Taumarunui, Waitomo, and south Waikato have also been placed under a strong wind watch until 5pm Tuesday. Eastern Bay of Plenty remains under a strong wind watch until 11pm Tuesday.
A similar watch will come into place for Taranaki from 6pm Monday through to Tuesday morning.
Auckland had seen showery conditions throughout Monday, which are expected to continue into Tuesday.
Aiman Amerul Muner/Stuff
A thick layering of snow fell in Lake Tekapo on Sunday afternoon as a cold front moved up the South Island.
By Wednesday the North Island will see rain or showers in the south and east. The South Island is likely to see showers about Canterbury and coastal Marlborough clearing, otherwise mainly fine with areas of morning frosts.
The South Island will see frosty conditions for most of the week. But for those further north, the temperatures are roughly back to average for the start of winter, MetService forecaster Gerard Bellam said.
Meanwhile, an earlier watch for severe thunderstorms for Bay of Plenty was lifted on Monday afternoon. Residents and holidaymakers in Bay of Plenty and Coromandel were earlier urged to take shelter as the storms headed towards the regions.
Send your photos of snow or extreme weather to newstips@stuff.co.nz.
On Monday State Highway 2 Karangahake Gorge between Waihi and Paeroa was hit by surface flooding , with Waka Kotahi warning motorists to take care and expect delays.
Hawke’s Bay, the Coromandel Peninsula and Gisborne could be in for a further drenching as heavy rain watches are placed over the three regions from Monday morning through to Tuesday.
King’s Birthday weekend brought a chilly end with temperatures failing to get above 10C for much of the country.
Auckland and Wellington made it into double digits by 7am, recording 10C. In the South Island, Christchurch reached 6C by 7am, while Central Otago areas hovered between -1C and 3C.
About 3 to 4 cm of snow fell in some inland South Island locations.
Wellington region saw rain and showery conditions throughout Monday, with Interislander Cook Strait ferries cancelling or delaying sailings in the afternoon due to rough conditions in the Cook Strait.
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