A wintry drop in temperatures brought a frosty start for much of the country this morning.

Overnight temperatures dropped below freezing in parts of the South Island, with Alexandra dropping to -4C, Queenstown -2C and Christchurch and Timaru both recording -1.

Invercargill and Dunedin remained near 10C, with west to southwesterly breezes stopping the frost developing.

Some lower and central areas of the North Island would have frost this morning, WeatherWatch said.

Weather analyst Richard Green said the first frosts would normally have arrived earlier in the year but the recent dry and warm spell had kept them at bay.

Temperatures would slowly pick up this morning, with cloud and showers about Northland and parts of Auckland.

A few showers are moving over Northland and a narrow rain band has formed just to the west of the North Island.

- APNZ