Eastern parts of New Zealand should prepare for another chilly blast this week, as one forecaster predicts temperatures up to 8C colder than normal and a main centre to see days of icy wind.
After last week's polar blast, temperatures have slightly warmed up again due to mild north to north-west winds. Christchurch on Tuesday morning was 20C warmer than in the weekend "as frost weather melts away to windy, warm nor'wester", according to WeatherWatch.
"The windy weather will head north [on Tuesday] with coastal gales in a number of regions and blustery conditions elsewhere."
But eastern parts of the country will be hit by another round of cool temperatures that arrive in the south on Tuesday evening before spreading northwards over the rest of the week and won't ease until Sunday. WeatherWatch says "this is longer lasting than the more intense polar blast last week".
According to WeatherWatch, Wednesday will see eastern areas like Dunedin, Christchurch, the Wairarapa and Hawke's Bay see temperatures 8C cooler than usual. Inland areas of the north-eastern part of the South Island could experience even bigger dips.
Those icy temperatures will spread further across eastern areas on Thursday, while some parts of the western coasts of the North and South islands may be warmer than usual.
Overnight Wednesday, Thursday morning and Friday morning will see sub-zero temperatures across most of inland South Island.
"Snow is forecast to low levels in the South Island with flurries in Dunedin City expected and into surrounding centres like Gore, Lumsden, Queenstown, Arrowtown, Te Anau, Twizel, Tekapo, Waiouru. Areas impacted by snow are remarkably similar to the polar blast last week.
"Snow accumulation isn’t huge for most low lying places, but may still make driving hazardous with 1 to 5cm possible. Higher up and the mountains will get 20cm to 80cm of snow on the summits."
Dunedin, in particular, should expect a chilly week with the city forecast to have wind chill below 0C from overnight Tuesday and not rising above 0C until Sunday.
"That's four full days with a windchill below zero in exposed places. Even at best the milder more sheltered areas will still be hovering around 0C or +1C in the wind," says WeatherWatch.
"For newborn lambs inland and higher elevation the windchill will be even lower and could again linger for not just one day, but a number of days."
