A heavy snow warning is in place for the Central North Island ranges east of Taihape and the Kaweka Ranges from Hawkes Bay to northern Manawatu.

Snow is expected above 700 metres this afternoon and down to 400 metres this evening. In the 18 hours from 3pm Tuesday, expect about 20cm of snow to accumulate above 800 metres and 5 to 15cm down to 600 metres. The heaviest period of snow is expected to be late Tuesday afternoon and evening.

FREEZING LEVEL:1200 metres lowering to 700 metres this evening.

This amount of snow has the potential to affect both the Napier-Taupo and Napier-Taihape Roads and the weight of the accumulated snow could damage trees, powerlines and weak structures.

Also, the combination of strong winds with snow or very cold showers could lead to significant wind chill which may cause distress for livestock without shelter.

For more information and updates got to www.metservice.com/national/warnings/severe-weather-warnings