Not literally of course but the polar blast that hit New Zealand yesterday is expected to last several more days and has basically shut New Zealand down.
This is a photo of the Beehive in Wellington ( for those who don't know the beehive is where the politicians have their offices)
to give you a fair idea of whats been affected here is a list of roads closed
North Island:
SH2 Morere to Bartletts
SH4 Whanganui to National Park
SH46 Tongariro to Rangipo
SH47 National Park to Turangi
SH1 Waiouru to Vinegar Hill
SH 54 Cheltenham to Vinegar Hill
SH1 Desert Road - Rangipo to Waiouru
SH49 Ohakune To Waiouru
SH2 Between Brown Owl and Te Marua
SH2 Rimutaka Hill
South Island:
SH1 Waikouaiti to Dunedin
SH85 Kyeburn to Palmerston
SH87 Outram to Kyeburn
SH6 Queenstown to Kingston
SH6 Kingston to Five Rivers
SH63 Wairau Valley to Kawatiri
SH73 Arthurs to Otira
SH73 Springfield to Arthurs Pass
SH93 Clinton to Mataura
SH7 Hanmer Junction to Springs Junction ( Lewis Pass)
SH94 Te Anau to Milford Sound
SH7 Springs Junction - Reefton
Only cars with chains can use the following roads:
SH94 Mossburn to Te Anau
SH8 Raes Junction to Milton
SH8 Alexandra to Raes Junction
SH6 Cromwell to Queenstown
SH85 Ranfurly to Omakau
SH8 Omarama to Tarras
SH75 Cooptown to Barrys Bay
SH8 Roxburgh to Raes Junction
Pretty much all the main highways are all closed.
Here is a list of other services that are closed:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/...
this includes schools, trains. buses and airports.
The mail service was not open yesterday. Not sure about today.
Power is out in a number of areas in Christchurch, Upper Hutt, South Taranaki, Whanganui, Manawatu and Wairarapa.
Snow was brought to downtown Auckland for the first time in 72 years - and created the city's coldest day on record. The temperature got up to only 8.2C - compared with the previous lowest high of 8.7C, on July 4, 1996.
Best advice for people everywhere in New Zealand: don't go out. Stay at home and keep warm. DO NOT DRIVE unless an emergency.
4:10 PM PT: Stephen Fry, who is in Wellington filming The Hobbit, described the atmosphere on Twitter. "It's been an exciting day here in Wellington. Snow. That's unusual. NZ is same latitude as Melbourne so it's rare."
4:12 PM PT: New Zealand Post spokesman Michael Tull says there will be no deliveries in Etham, Palmerston North, Levin, Feilding, Masterton, Featherston, Greytown, Carterton, Martinborough, Eketahuna, Dannevirke, Ohakune, Raetihi, Waiouru, Taihape, Wellington City, Hutt Valley, Porirua, Kapiti Coast, Christchurch, Asburton, Alexandra, Queenstown, Wanaka, Gore, and only limited deliveries in Stratford.
Nelson, Richmond, Takaka, Motueka, Blenheim, Picton, Havelock will only receive locally posted and yesterday's mail.
Oamaru and Dunedin will have mail delivered on a street by street, case by case basis.