Heavy snow in Dunedin has closed roads and caused crashes as wild weather sweeps across New Zealand.

State Highway One was closed north of Dunedin between Leith Valley and Waitati due to heavy snow on Monday night. Police also confirmed they had a number of call-outs to weather related crashes in central Dunedin as snow settled on the streets.

The crashes and road closures came as chilly early spring temperatures are set to linger for the next couple of days.

Snow was falling in Dunedin from Monday afternoon and was forecast to fall to low levels for parts of Christchurch.

READ MORE:
* Aoraki/Mt Cook nabs records for coldest winter temperature, highest rainfall
* How a massive weather data project could help predict tornado activity
* Rivers of rain in the snow a ‘cruel twist of fate’ for top of the south skifield

Intermittent flurries of snow fell across central Dunedin and its suburbs on Monday, but did not settle.

Hail did, however, coat the ground, causing some road closures and leaving cars skidding on steep streets.

Police advised motorists to avoid unessential travel in Dunedin’s hill suburbs because of icy conditions.

Send your weather photos and videos to newstips@stuff.co.nz

After a night of hail in Christchurch, snow was forecast to fall down to 200m over Canterbury’s Banks Peninsula and Port Hills on Tuesday, but was also unlikely to settle, MetService meteorologist Lewis Ferris said.

Blue Skies Climate Services forecaster Tony Trewinnard said Christchurch would get significant frosts the next couple of nights, with the temperature expected to drop to -2C overnight Monday and -3C overnight on Tuesday.

Road snowfall warnings were issued across the South Island for overnight Monday, including the Lewis Pass (State Highway 7), Porters Pass (SH73), Crown Range Rd, and Dunedin to Waitati Highway (SH1).

Meanwhile, Northland residents were feeling “nervous” as they braced for heavy rain and gales of up to 100kph on Monday.

It comes after rain caused chaos across Northland throughout August, cutting Kaitāia off from the rest of the country and causing the closure of SH1 at Mangamuka Gorge.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency urged drivers in Northland, particularly the Far North, to slow down, increase following distances, and be aware of the possibility of slips, flooding and fallen trees.

For Kaitāia Business Association head Andrea Panther, Monday’s weather warnings caused apprehension.

“It seems weird to say when you get months during the summer where you need rain, but we’re all a little nervous.

“Every drop of rain adds to the movement of the ground and puts us at risk of being blocked off from the rest of the country again,” Panther said.

Further down the country, a strong wind warning was in place for Taranaki from 9pm Monday until 4am Tuesday.

MetService warned severe gales could gust up to 120kph in exposed places.

A heavy snow warning was in place for the higher parts of Hawke’s Bay, southern Taupō and Taihape from 5pm Monday to 5am Tuesday and for the Gisborne ranges from 1am to 7am on Tuesday.

There was also a chance of heavy snow in some central parts of the North Island overnight Monday, with MetService advising as much as 35cm could fall on the Desert Road, and 15cm on the Napier-Taupō Road.

A small amount of snow was possible about the summit of the Remutaka Hill Road north of Wellington overnight and into early Tuesday.

The rain was being brought by a low pressure system coming out of the north Tasman Sea, and was expected to move east-southeast across the upper North Island during Monday into Tuesday.

The southerlies forecast for the north on Monday evening would mark the arrival of a cold snap that would cover the country for several days.

Strong winds in coastal Southland and south Otago had eased after tipping over shipping containers, uprooting trees, knocking out power supplies, and causing flight cancellations on Sunday.

After being saturated by rain during winter, Wellington had a chance to dry out this week, but some showers were still expected. Southerlies and southeasterlies would chill the capital, with the temperature not expected to top 9C on Tuesday, and dropping to 3C early Wednesday.

In the Far North, southerly swells were expected to develop about Cape Reinga later on Monday as the low coming out of the north Tasman Sea crossed the northern North Island.