Icy temperatures spell the coldest Northland morning of the year so far

Frost in Whangārei on July 4. Photo / Gaylene Daniels

Northlanders had an icy start to the day as temperatures reached far below the July average in a wintry spell that brought clear and cold conditions.

Whangārei reached a low of 3.7C- marking the lowest temperature of the year so far.

MetService metereologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane said the average minimum temperature for July is 8.2C, yet Kaitāia and Kerikeri dipped to 4.3C, Kaikohe 4.9C.

A combination of a weather system that brought in an influx of colder air and clear skies left a biting chill that saw some Whangārei residents having to defrost their windscreens before their commutes.

If clear skies remain overnight Northland could be in for another cold morning as well, Makgabutlane said.

So far, the outlook is that Kaitāia may sit in the 4s, Whangārei around 5.

Daytime temperatures will also sit around the lower side, around 13 or 14 degrees.

Those in Northland or preparing to travel north should “bundle up for a cold weekend”, she said, as cold temperatures are set to continue.

This weekend will mostly see settled weather systems with possibly one or two showers over Friday and Saturday.

During climate change it would become rarer to experience cold weather events and frosty conditions in Northland, Makgabutlane said.

MetService’s revelations follow Niwa’s recent climate summary for June which found that Kerikeri had the highest daily maximum air temperature in June since records began in 1945.

Kaitāia also experienced the second-highest air temperature since records began. It also experienced the highest daily minimum air temperatures for June, sitting at 18.2C.

Whangārei experienced the equal second-highest record for minimum air temperatures while Dargaville experienced a fourth-equal record at 15.8C.

Brodie Stone is an education and general news reporter at the Advocate. Brodie has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.