Brrrrr! Temperatures hit -3C as Hawke's Bay shivers through coldest morning of year

There was a frosty start to the day as the regions temperatures went below zero. Photo / Paul Taylor

Temperature across Hawke's Bay have dropped into the negatives with the region shivering through its coldest mornings of the year.

MetService meteorologist Andrew James said temperatures in Napier dropped to minus 0.2 degrees Celsius at 8am today and -0.6C in Hastings.

While frosts are not unusual at this time of year, it was the coldest morning Napier/Hastings had experienced all year, James said.

The weather station at the Takapau plains dropped to -3.4C so anyone inland would have experienced cooler temperatures than those in coastal areas, he said.

By 9am, the temperature in Napier had risen to 4.7C but felt like 3C.

In Hastings, the temperature by 9am was 2C and in Wairoa it was 3C but felt like 0C.

The weather was fine and became warmer throughout the day with a high of 17C in Napier, 16C in Hastings, 15C in Waipukurau and 16C in Wairoa.

Daytime temperatures are expected to remain in the upper teens throughout the week but nights will be cold until Monday.

The cold is caused by a ridge of high pressure over the country meaning no cloud and wind, alongside longer nights and shorter days.

More frosty mornings can be expected today and tomorrow .

As a low-pressure system moves across the North Island towards the end of the weekend and on Monday, overnight temperatures will warm to 10-11C but daytime temperatures will remain the same, James said.

There is also some rain expected on Monday, but it will "not be a drought breaker".