Wellington snowman
© AFP PHOTO / Marty Melville A snowman made by children stands in a playground in the Wellington suburb of Johnsonville after a polar blast dumped snow on the city for the first time in decades on August 15, 2011. Residents of hillside suburbs in the capital Wellington were warned they faced being snowed in amid the worst winter weather in the North Island for half a century.
Residents of New Zealand's capital city Wellington are taking delight in the unusual sight of snowflakes falling in what forecasters are describing as a once-in-a-lifetime event.

Services across the country were disrupted on Monday by the snowfalls, which were accompanied by heavy rain and high winds. Mail delivery in many centres was cancelled, as were some flights. Some roads were closed and recreational facilities such as libraries and swimming pools were shut in many centres.

Wellington rarely gets snow - the few inches it got on Sunday and Monday is the most in at least 30 years - and so people are taking to the streets with cameras and cheers.

Forecasters are predicting the cold snap to continue through Wednesday.

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