AUIP staff in Christchurch are enjoying working from home today as the city has been hit with its heaviest snowfall in 16 years. Residents woke to a foot of snow that had fallen overnight. That snow coupled with further heavy falls during the morning has brought Christchurch to a relative standstill with the airport, universities, many shops and public areas closed. Forecaster WeatherWatch said temperatures in Christchurch had plummeted to -9 degrees Celsius (16 degrees Fahrenheit) this morning, and with further snow expected until later this afternoon, staying at home with the heater and fire is the advised (and desirable) option!

Check out the photos of Sheena’s garden that is slowly disappearing under the increasing blanket of snow!