Fierce winds are fuelling a wildfire - and making it too dangerous for firefighters to tackle - near Pūkaki Downs in the South Island.
An orange, strong wind warning is in force for the Canterbury High Country, with MetService warning of severe gale northwesterlies with damaging gusts of 140 kilometres-per-hour in exposed places.
Heavy snow for Otago and Canterbury may follow. Metservice meteorologist Clare O'Connor warns this could disrupt travel through alpine passes.
O'Connor spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.
