Temperatures dropped more than 10degC in one hour yesterday when a ''vigorous cold front'' hit Dunedin.
A gusty northwesterly lifted temperatures to 22degC yesterday morning.
But by 2pm the low hit, bringing heavy rain and temperatures of only 9degC.
By 3pm, 5mm of rain had fallen. Gale-force gusts of up to 65kmh had also been recorded in the city.
At Dunedin airport, the temperature hit 20degC by noon but by 3pm had dropped to 8degC.
The cold front also hit Alexandra about 2pm, with temperatures dropping from about 12degC to 7degC as strong southerly gusts of about 55kmh were recorded.
A MetService forecaster said the cold southwesterly was expected to bring rain and even snow down to 400m in Fiordland.
The MetService had issued severe weather warnings for high winds in eastern Otago and for significant amounts of rain for the headwaters of the region's lakes and rivers.
The warning lead the Otago Regional Council to post a flood watch alert yesterday, although no rivers had reached alert level by early evening.
Bad weather in Christchurch and Wellington caused seven flights between Dunedin and Wellington to be cancelled and one service between Dunedin and Christchurch due to ''the significant disruptions to our schedule'', an Air New Zealand spokeswoman said.
The southerly was expected to continue through today, bringing temperatures of about 12degC, before easing and turning northwesterly again tomorrow.
''Then you'll be back to 17degC to 20degC for the rest of the week.''
• A decision will be made today on whether to reopen the Milford road, which closed at 5pm yesterday at the Hollyford turnoff. Heavy rain and strong winds had caused treacherous driving conditions throughout the day.
