More snow possible for the Desert Road

Snow on the Desert Road yesterday. Image: MetService/Twitter.

The southeast of the North Island continues to take a battering on Wednesday from a slow moving winter-like weather pattern, which could also bring some snow to the Desert Road.

MetService is warning rain could be heavy during Wednesday in central and southern Hawke's Bay, and in northern Wairarapa, while in Taranaki, Hawke's Bay and Wairarapa southeasterlies could get to gale strength in exposed areas.

Southerlies will also be strong in Wellington.

Snow showers are expected for higher parts of the Desert Road throughout the day, with possibly up to 4cm accumulating near the summit, and lesser amounts falling down to 900 metres.

MetService meteorologist Arno Dyason says the situation was similar to that on Tuesday, and was likely to continue for the next few days.

"There's a slow moving trough over the North Island and a ridge of high pressure over the South Island. That just sticks around for a good couple of days, really into this coming weekend.

"Overnight we've had a good amount of rain in Hawke's Bay. It's a good band of rain and we do have a warning for heavy falls in Hawke's Bay throughout today."

MetService Meteorologist Stephen Glassey says a slow moving weather system such as the one over the country now was more typical of winter than of spring, "but we are only a few days out of winter, after all".

The stormy start to spring comes after the sixth warmest winter on record, according to Niwa, with more northwesterly airflows than normal during July and August.

A largely dry day is forecast for the South Island on Wednesday, with the exception being a chance of showers in Canterbury north of Christchurch and coastal Marlborough.

The Northern half of the North Island also misses out on much of the bad weather, with just isolated showers forecast amid the fine spells.

Auckland is expected to stay cool with southerlies, isolated showers and a high of 15 degrees Celsius.

Wellington and Christchurch could be lucky to make it into double figures, but at least the South Island's largest city is expected to be dry and the easterlies are just described as breezes.

The early morning temperature was below freezing in parts of Central Otago, but no such problems for the West Coast, which appears to be in for a run of great early spring weather.

Greymouth is expected to have a sunny Wednesday with a high of 14C.

-Stuff/Michael Daly

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