A blast of polar air blew up from Antarctica delivering far colder than usual temperatures and snow across a wide swath of New Zealand.
Temperatures were ten degrees and more below normal for the time of year across much of the North and South Islands.
Stuff reports that on the New Zealand’s South Island temperatures dropped well below freezing. Christchurch recorded -3.5℃ on August 19. The MetService recorded even colder temperatures in Tekapo, where a low of -7.4℃ was reported, and in Twizel, where the temperature dropped to -5.6℃.
Temperatures were slightly warmer on New Zealand’s North Island, with Wellington city experiencing temperatures just above freezing 3.8℃.
The temperatures being above freezing on the North Island did not prevent snow from falling and disrupting traffic.
“Snow closed the Desert Road overnight, with NZTA posting that State Highway 1 from Rangipo to Waiouru was fully closed, [from Monday night through Tuesday morning], wrote Shilpy Arora for Stuff.