The clear, frosty mornings experienced in east Otago at the weekend have come to an end for the meantime, with forecast rain and cloud expected to bring slightly warmer temperatures to the area this week.
Emergency services dealt with multiple crashes around Dunedin and north of the city on Saturday after a -2degC cold snap about 9am froze water lying on roads from rain during the night.
That was followed by a crisp six-degree frost at Dunedin International Airport yesterday and a one-degree frost in the central city, which came on top of dry roads and resulted in only one minor crash reported to police, in London St in central Dunedin.
No serious crashes were reported in Central Otago either, where a heavy frost yesterday was still apparent by sundown.
In the most serious ice-related crash of the weekend, a 38-year-old Good Samaritan was taken to Dunedin Hospital with a minor head and neck injury after he was knocked over when a car collided with a car he was helping change the tyre on in Portobello Rd, near Marne St, Dunedin.
The accident happened about 8.45am on Saturday.
Police said the car he was working on was the second to slide into the kerb at the same spot that morning.
About 45 minutes later, a pregnant woman was flown by tago Regional Rescue Helicopter to Dunedin Hospital as a precaution after the car she was in slid on ice and crashed on the overhead bridge on State Highway 1 at Palmerston.
The other people in the car were uninjured.
Acting Senior Sergeant Dave Scott said the areas with the most issues on Saturday were Portsmouth Dr and the Southern Motorway between Lookout Point and Fairfield.
The MetService is forecasting slightly warmer temperatures for Dunedin this week, with those overnight staying above 4degC all week and an ever-present cloud cover keeping daytime temperatures hovering around 10degC.
Rain is predicted for today and Wednesday.
Alerted about 6pm yesterday, Invercargill firefighters used a powerful vacuum device to remove water from an Oreti Rd, Otatara, house after previously frozen water pipes broke, causing extensive water damage.
Fire Service Senior Station Officer Peter Thwaites said the residents had been away and returned to find the pipes had broken, damaging their house.
