Motorists trapped in snow were rescued in Canterbury, streets were flooded and trees closed highways in the lower North Island, and thunderstorms hit Auckland

SH7 from Hanmer Springs to the Springs Junction remains open with restrictions.

Fentz said only a certain number of vehicles can make it through the snow.

“We ask people to stay away from the area and not travel unless absolutely necessary.”

Police said a car was towing a boat when a crash occurred on West Shore Road in Springfield around 11:45 a.m.

“There were reports of numerous other vehicles trapped in the area. Contractors are arriving with equipment and it appears several vehicles have been freed.”

Vehicles were also stranded outside Arthur’s Pass heading towards Christchurch and Fenz crews were on scene to assist.

Shortly before 5pm, police urged Canterbury motorists to consider postponing non-essential travel due to poor road conditions in the area.

“We urge anyone who needs to travel to ensure they carry appropriate equipment, such as snow chains.

“If you are travelling on the road, turn on your headlights, slow down, ensure you maintain a careful following distance and eliminate any distractions.”

Rainfall floods homes in Manawatu-Wanganui; council on standby for floodgates

Meanwhile, homes were flooded in the lower North Island as heavy rain overnight caused streets to flood.

Residents of Pahiatua were cleaning up this afternoon but feared more disasters were to come.

MetService says another shower is expected this afternoon.

A local in Pahiatua said that it started raining last night and was still raining heavily this morning.

She said blocked drains and rising creeks were to blame for the high water levels and locals had been out in force this morning to try to resolve the issues.

Photos showed water seeping into homes on a residential street.

The Pahiatua Track was closed due to fallen trees and landslides but has now reopened, according to the New Zealand Transport Agency website.

In a statement issued shortly after 5pm, Horizon Regional Council said it was ready to operate the Moutoa Locks due to rainfall in the region.

Horizons incident controller Sarah Carswell said river levels indicated the Manawatu River would reach the operating range of the sluice gates on Monday morning.

“The amount of rainfall in the Manawatu River catchment since Saturday night and the amount of rainfall forecast for Sunday night suggests sluice management may be required.”

Mr Caswell said upgrades to the Mutoa Locks had recently been carried out but were still operational.

“This operation will require traffic management on the road above the gate so anyone passing through the area should be aware of this.

“Water flowing into the Manawatu River will flood SH56 at Opiki on Sunday evening, which may result in road closures.”

Caswell added that rainfall in the Rangitikai, Wanganui, Manawatu, Horowainua and Ruapehu regions had not caused rivers and streams to reach worrying levels.

“We do not anticipate that any flood management assets other than Moutoa Lock will need to be operated.

“However, the catchment area has been drenched by the rains so far.

“Horizons staff will continue to monitor developments and provide updates as necessary.”

Auckland to be hit by thunderstorms on Sunday night

MetService also warned that thunderstorms, gusty winds and heavy rain would affect much of the North Island, including Auckland.

“Localized heavy rain” and winds of up to 110 km/h are possible in many places.

The New Zealand Transport Agency also said speed limits on the Auckland Harbour Bridge had been reduced due to strong winds. Lane reductions may be necessary and caution is advised, especially with high-sided vehicles and motorcycles.

The bad weather this afternoon also disrupted the travel plans of some air passengers.

Flight NZ600 was diverted to Christchurch due to bad weather in Wellington. Air New Zealand said the flight would refuel in Christchurch and rescheduled to fly to Wellington again later this afternoon.

MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane said between 40 and 60 millimetres of rain had fallen today, with more expected this afternoon.

“We’re going to have another wave of wet weather starting around midday and continuing into this afternoon and evening.”

This is due to a rain band sweeping across the country from the east.

“There are currently multiple fronts forming, bringing severe weather to various regions,” said Macabutran.

She said a band of rain from the east of the country would move over much of the North Island around midday, bringing thunderstorms, heavy rain and gusty winds.

Moderate thunderstorms will persist into the evening in Northland, Auckland, Waikato, the Coromandel Peninsula, western Bay of Plenty (including Rotorua), the general western areas from Raglan to Kapiti and the eastern Bay of Plenty.

Additionally, a few thunderstorms are possible across Northland, Auckland, Waikato, the Coromandel Peninsula and western Bay of Plenty, and conditions could become severe with dangerous gusts exceeding 110km/h.

A heavy rain warning is in place for the Tararua Ranges until 10pm, with MetService reporting an additional 60 to 90 millimetres of rain will fall on top of what has already fallen.

Further south, a heavy rain warning was in place for Wellington at 1pm today, with MetService warning residents that thunderstorms were “likely” and rainfall could reach “warning levels”.

Most of the country was battered by rain, wind or snow today, but the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa) reported a new August record for Whakatū in Hawke’s Bay, reaching 24.6C. Temperature records for the region date back to the 1930s.

Less than 600 kilometres to the south, Cass in Canterbury will only reach 2.5C today, Niwa said.

Rachel Maher is a reporter based in Auckland, covering breaking news. The Herald From 2022 onwards.