Google Maps image of New Zealand.

Snow, rain, high winds, hail and even a tornado have struck New Zealand along with a severe early week winter storm.

On the South Island, a heavy fall of snow has disrupted traffic, causing accidents and at least one school closure in one town, according to the New Zealand Herald.

Queenstown was blanketed in snow on Tuesday, with pictures on the Herald’s website suggesting snowfall of up to 10 inches in the area.

A skidding 10-ton truck nearly crashed through the front of the Queenstown District Court, the Herald reported.

A Queenstown police officer urged motorists to put on chains, owing to the hazardous state of area roadways.

Meanwhile, a small twister apparently tore a narrow swath through Kaiwaka in the early morning. The North Island town is located between Auckland and Whangarei.

On the bright side, the storm left more than a meter (or more than 3 feet) of snow on the ski fields of Mount Ruapehu, North Island. Operators were looking forward to clear weather later in the week, the Herald indicated.

Another wave of rain, snow and high winds will sweep through New Zealand into Wednesday, say forecasters at AccuWeather.com.

Heavy snow will sock the South Island highlands yet again, and inland sites such as Queenstown could get another 6 to 12 inches of snow.

Later in the week, the weather will tend to improve, although it will be significantly cold through at least Friday.