Much of New Zealand was crippled Monday by a rare Antarctic blast that brought the heaviest snowfalls in decades, closing roads, airports and schools and cutting power to thousands of homes. Snow fell on the biggest city Auckland for the first time since 1976 and dumped the heaviest amounts on the capital Wellington for half a century. Forecasters said there would be more before the big freeze eased late in the week, according to a report of the German Press Agency "DPA".
