New Zealand sees coldest morning of the year as Polar Blast dumps snow, brings mercury down across country

People in several parts of New Zealand woke up to the coldest day of 2025 so far on Sunday morning, June 8 as the country continues to shiver under a polar blast. It dumped snow in the south and brought down mercury levels across several cities.

In the capital city Wellington, the temperature dropped up to 2.9 degrees. Other major cities like Auckland and Christchurch also witnessed a significant dip in mercury with 4.5 degrees and -2.8C respectively.

According to the New Zealand Herald, the temperature in the alpine village of Aoraki/Mt Cook was recorded as low as -10C. The locals claimed that the area hit as low as -13C overnight making it the country’s coldest town on Sunday.

Authorities warn of “treacherous” road conditions, ask people to ‘limit travel’

In the wake of the severe drop in mercury levels, Mackenzie District Council has warned people of “treacherous” road conditions following a severe frost, and has recommended them to limit travel until conditions improve, New Zealand Herald reported.

Following several days of snow and icy conditions, the resort town of Tekapo found itself among the coldest spots in the country on Sunday morning with -6C. The prevailing weather conditions have led to closed roads and trapped visitors as State Highway 8 from Fairlie to Twizel remained closed because of snow and ice.

What is a Polar Blast

A polar blast is a sudden outbreak of extremely cold air that sweeps up from polar regions entering places like New Zealand or Australia. It results in a major drop in temperature, heavy snow, icy winds, hail, and sometimes even blizzards.

The polar blast has brought fresh snow to the South Island’s ski fields with Mt Hutt recording 90cm, according to the New Zealand Herald.

Several towns like Queenstown, Wanaka and Invercargill also witnessed sub-zero conditions on Sunday morning, with rain moving north on the eastern side of the South Island. Wellington is under a heavy swell warning, while the Chatham Islands are likely to see strong winds.