Weather

Residents from The Terrace in Wellington have been moved to hotels for the night while a major slip is being cleaned up.

The West Coast Regional Council has invited Snodgrass Road residents to the meeting to hear expert advice.

A fourth heatwave this (northern hemisphere) summer has left parched villages without safe drinking water as farmers warned of a looming milk shortage.

Snow and ice in the South Island has closed highways as the cold weather system moves north, rain is hitting the lower North Island and fog at Auckland Airport is is causing delays.

State Highway 73 in Canterbury has closed due to snowfall and snow is forecast for much of Te Waipounamu tonight, with close to 10 centimetres expected on some major roads.

Motorists are being urged to take care on roads as snow settles in parts of the South Island today.

Storm damage is costing the Department of Conservation millions of dollars with repair bills rising nearly fivefold over the past five financial years.

About 60 cars belonging to park visitors and staff are buried in several feet of debris following the near-record downpour.

Weather warnings continue across the country as heavy rain, wind and fog have caused major travel disruptions, and new flood and wind warnings have been issued.

Eight of Auckland's 10 dams are at capacity after the country's wettest July on record. Audio

High winds have blown over a campervan on a Southland road this afternoon, after fog caused flight and ferry disruptions in Auckland earlier today.

Dense fog covering Auckland has caused delays and cancellations for some early morning flights and harbour ferry services.

Aotearoa New Zealand has just endured its wettest - and fourth warmest - July ever, NIWA says.