Weather tad warmer as storm passes

The Rimutaka Range got a dusting of snow.

Today's weather should be warmer than yesterday's chilly 13C temperatures - although there is still a chance of rain.

Today's high of 15C with fine spells, a chance of showers and strong winds easing, is slightly warmer than yesterday's chilly 13C - the coldest maximum temperature this month.

The MetService yesterday forecast a maximum temperature of 13C at 2pm, but this was short-lived as the thermometer dropped to 10C by 3pm.

Overnight, it was forecast to get as cold as 8C.

The lowest overall temperature this month was on May 1, when the temperature dipped to 5C.

Last year, temperatures dropped as low as 0.9C on May 28, which was the coldest day of the month.

The Western Bay had a severe gale warning yesterday and gusts reached 44km/h around midday.

MetService meteorologist Emma Blades said the mean maximum temperature for the month was 17C.

"But you guys have only had 13C, which is not massively cold but with the winds it makes it feel just a few degrees colder than that. And with the showers as well, when you get showers it always makes it feel colder."

Although the temperature at 3pm was 10C, it felt like 7C and the MetService recommended people wear three layers of clothing and one windproof layer.

The blast of Antarctic weather over New Zealand is currently the biggest storm on Earth, according to WeatherWatch.

It's fairly normal to get a cold snap in late May. We're less than a week away from winter and it's not surprising to get a blast like this.

WeatherWatch's Phillip Duncan

The forecast air pressure at its centre yesterday was greater than that of Hurricane Katrina when it made landfall in 2005, the forecaster revealed.

Icy temperatures will continue to grip much of the country, with the last of the wild weather expected to pass by today.

The storm was moving away from New Zealand to the southeast, but the country would still be affected by it today, said WeatherWatch head analyst Phillip Duncan.

"We're still caught up in this cold, showery and sometimes windy southwest flow.

"It's fairly normal to get a cold snap in late May. We're less than a week away from winter and it's not surprising to get a blast like this," he said.