Colder southerlies will affect the North Island on Monday as pictured above. Photo: weatherwatch.co.nzHeavy snow, rain and strong winds are likely to smash the South Island as a "large and complex low pressure system" heads towards New Zealand. Photo: weatherwatch.co.nzAs for the weekend's storm, Duncan said there could be between 1cm to 5cm of snow falling on the Canterbury plains, above a couple hundred metres altitude. The south to southwest flow will see Canterbury hardest hit by rain too, with early estimates of between 70mm and 90mm through inland areas, including Darfield. Despite the storm, MetService has South Island temperatures hovering around 10 or 11C - similar to today - although Christchurch is currently just warming up after an overnight low of 1C.

Source: Otago Daily Times May 24, 2021 23:48 UTC