Weather: Snow for the south, flooding in Pahiatua

A wild day of weather has residents cleaning up flooding in Tararua District - where the heavy rain continues, and snow and road closures on the South Island.

Canterbury Police have urged motorists to delay unnecessary travel, with conditions poor around the region.

State Highway 73 is closed from Springfield to Castle Hill, where authorities have had to free convoys of vehicles stuck in snow at two places, Castle Hill and in the Lake Lyndon area, police said.

Flooding hit several streets in the Tararua District town of Pahiatua, with the mayor saying the waters and conditions cut off some houses and closed roads. People in the area have been warned to stay vigilant, with heavy rain warnings, and floodgate watches ongoing late into Sunday night.

Other alpine areas are also experiencing heavy snowfall, with road warnings for the Desert Road, Remutaka Road and many South Island high roads, snow to sea level in Canterbury, and to low levels in Otago, and reports of surface flooding and snow in many other places.

Travellers are urged to use NZTA's Journey Planner before hitting the road in some regions.

Catch up on what happened, with our blog:

Reduced speed limits were in place on the Auckland Harbour Bridge because of strong gusts of wind, with NZTA issuing cautions for those travelling across it, especially high-sided vehicles and motorbikes.