New Zealand’s South Island hit by coldest day since 1950

Record cold continues to sweep parts of New Zealand’s South Island. Residents in the south Canterbury township of Omarama braved temperatures of -21C on Wednesday morning, the coldest day there since records began in 1950. The previous record was -17.5C in July 1968, the MetService said. But it still doesn’t come close to New Zealand’s coldest-ever temperature of -25.6C at Ranfurly in 1903. Nearby, those living in Tara Hills in Otago woke on Wednesday morning to a temperature of -18.9C. The New Zealand Transport Agency has urged all drivers in the South Island to be cautious of ice on roads.

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