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Snow and ice cause havoc on the roads |
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(19 Jun 2006) |
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Up to 2,000 rural households in South and Mid Canterbury are still without power, a week after a snowstorm that knocked out electricity, phone and water supplies. |
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Parts of inland Canterbury, as well as regions stretching from Southland to Nelson, received fresh coatings of snow on Sunday, but nothing on the scale of last week's snow dump.
Lines companies say rain and light snow has hampered restoration work, and a further 30 households in the Lake Coleridge area lost their power supply on Sunday night.
Civil Defence says it is keeping an eye on the situation, and welfare work is continuing to make sure everyone is coping. Iroquois helicopters are reportedly on standby at Wigram Air Base if needed.
Road clearers will continue to restore services cut by the snow.
Roger Sutton, chief executive of lines company Orion, says another 20 or 30 homes are without power in the Lake Coleridge area.
Sutton says repair crews were pulled out on Sunday because the snow was too deep, but they are back on the job on Monday.
Drivers advised to take care
MetService forecaster Mark Pascoe says there is a severe weather warning for many parts of the central North Island.
The cold is moving up the country and the Desert Road in the plateau remains closed in the wake of the wintry blast which forced its closure on Sunday night. Motorists have an alternate route through the central North Island via State Highway Four through National Park, and State Highway 41 to Kuratau. Drivers are advised to take care on this route as it is still affected by snow and ice.
State Highway One between Taihape and Rangipo is closed, with a diversion in place via Wanganui and Raetihi on State Highways Three, Four and 41.
State Highway 49 between Ohakune and Waiouru is also closed as is Napier-Taupo Road State Highway Five .
In the South Island, all the major roads are open, however, Barry Stratton from Transit says there are some restrictions.
State Highway One near Kaikoura's twin tunnels is open again after it was closed by a slip in the early hours of Monday morning. However, roading contractors have advised that on-going delays on the road are possible.
Ice freezes postal deliveries
Icy conditions stopped mail deliveries in Dunedin's hill suburbs on Monday.
New Zealand Post says post deliveries in areas including Maori Hill, Three Mile Hill, Halfway Bush and Waikari have been postponed due to the ice.
Deliveries will resume on Tuesday morning or when conditions improve.
New Zealand Post says mail deliveries are returning to normal as quickly as possible in Timaru, Temuka and Geraldine.
Run-holders count cost of snow
A Mackenzie District run-holder says the lack of warning about last week's snow dump has cost him hundreds of sheep.
Locharber Station, like most Canterbury high country runs, still had stock grazing in the upper reaches when the snow struck.
A week after the event, station staff are still rescuing sheep, helped by soldiers and Iroquois helicopters.
Locharber run-holder Joe Harrison estimates they may have recovered about 70% of the station's 6,500 sheep. He says the cost from the snow is still going to be high.
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