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Coldest Day of 2011 in New Zealand Brings Road Closures and Delayed Flights
Coldest Day of 2011 in New Zealand Brings Road Closures and Delayed Flights
Record breaking snowfall has resulted in what many are calling New Zealand's coldest day of 2011. Local authorities are trying their best to restore order; city councils of Dunedin and Christchurch have begun clearing local roads of snow and ice.
Queenstown,
Otago,
New Zealand
(sardnews.org)
10/08/2011
Record breaking snowfall has resulted in what many are calling New Zealand's coldest day of 2011. Local authorities are trying their best to restore order; city councils of Dunedin and Christchurch have begun clearing local roads of snow and ice. Most state highways have also been deemed safe enough for travel and have been reopened.
Elsewhere in the South Island snow has given way to frost early in the morning. Fresh snowfall is predicted for Arthur's Pass, Milford Rd and the Desert Road. There does not seem to be any let up of bad weather in the South Island; the western parts of the island are expected to receive heavy rainfall later on in the day. There is one bit of good weather related news; temperatures are forecast to go up from the bitterly cold lows that have plagued the island for the last couple of days.
Analysts are already calling the recent cold spell the coldest experienced so far this year, with a national high of a mere 13 degrees in Northland. The average temperature in much of country stayed between 4 and 8 degrees, with only a few centres reporting readings of double figures. These represent the coldest temperatures of 2011 according to experts; they do not expect the rest of the year to be as cold. According to one meteorologist, without the possibility of "another major polar blast" experts doubt "another outbreak as bitterly cold as this one." With spring just a few weeks away and longer hours of sunlight expected in the coming days the general consensus among meteorologists is that worst is behind us.
With the gradual improvement in weather we are seeing a number of roads reopening around the country. Road crews have been working overtime clearing roads of ice and snow and laying down grit to make them safe for traffic. The following roads have been reopened: NZTA said SH1 from Taihape to Waiouru, SH49 from Waiouru to Ohakune, SH2 from Nuhaka to Gisborne, SH2 at Rimutaka Hill and in the South Island SH87 from Outram to Middlemarch. The SH1 from Waiouru to Rangipo, SH35 at Waipiro and SH85 from Palmerston to Kyeburn, on the other hand, remain closed to vehicles.
Dyers Pass and Summit roads in Christchurch remain closed; most hill roads have yet to be cleared of snow and are only passable with four-wheel-drives. Further south, Dunedin’s main arterial roads are open but many of the small roads and side streets around the city's hillside suburban areas remain treacherous and should be avoided. Dunedin City Council official Rodney Bryant cautions people to drive carefully: "Some of the roads are clearer now, but it's only the main ones, if you can get to the main roads, then it's not quite so difficult."
In spite of the dangerous icy conditions of a majority of the roads neither the national Fire Service nor the police have reported any major accidents. Only eight traffic incidents have been reported in and around Canterbury, none of them serious. Although the overall weather situation is set to improve, low temperatures will remain for the next couple of days meaning ice and snow will be slow to melt away from roads and drivers should remain cautious.
After cancelling all flights yesterday due to the weather, Christchurch Airport has resumed all all arrivals and departures as of today. Travellers are requested to check with their airlines before coming down to the airport, however, as flight delays are reported in Queenstown and Dunedin.
If you can get into Queenstown then the skiing and snowboarding is going to be superb. If looking for accommodation in Queenstown the visit GoodStays the Queenstown Holiday Houses ( http://www.goodstays.co.nz/site/PropertyList/17021/default.aspx ) specialists. There huge selection of Queenstown Holiday Homes ( http://www.goodstays.co.nz/site/PropertyList/17021/default.aspx ) can be booked online in real time so you know that you are booked and confirmed on the spot.
Company Info:
Goodstay
PO Box 320
Queenstown 9348
New Zealand
T: +64 3 409 0537
queenstown@goodstays.co.nz
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