Big chill: Temperatures plunge overnight thoughout NZ

Grab your hot water bottle and keep the anti-freeze handy.

Meteorologists have tipped this morning to be the coldest of the year so far, with the Chatham Islands the only district with a zero frost risk.

Many locations throughout the South Island are expected to drop below 0C.

At 8am yesterday, Timaru Airport was the coldest place in the country after dropping to -3.3C. MetService is predicting a similar start today.

Timaru and Queenstown was expected to see temperatures drop to -3C overnight, with Christchurch close behind expecting -2C.

FROSTY CONDITIONS A chilly start for most of Aotearoa this morning with frosts under clear skies. It’s currently -3.3°C...

Posted by MetService New Zealand on Monday, 17 June 2019

In the north, Auckland residents will also need to stoke the fire and blast the heat pump. They should expect the mercury to plunge to just 4C overnight. An overnight low of 7C is forecast in Whangārei.

Further south, Invercargill should dip to -1C with Kaitaia in the north falling as low as 7C.

WeatherWatch reports that a large high rolling over from the Tasman Sea is locking in the cold air, shepherding in the chilly weather.

"A southerly change followed by a large high is often the perfect recipe for cold nights and that's precisely what is happening," WeatherWatch said.

"While the daytime temperatures are normal the overnight lows are in fact dipping below average this week, so get the socks ready, the extra blankets, the heaters, the firewood."

Only one district in New Zealand has zero frost risk on Wednesday morning 😱

Chatham Islands! pic.twitter.com/tnargY06bC

— NIWA Weather (@NiwaWeather) June 18, 2019

Meanwhile, the average price of fan heaters is also cooling down according to price and product comparison site PriceSpy.

PriceSpy's New Zealand country manager Liisa Matinvesi-Bassett said the biggest discount was found on fan heaters.

"[They are] providing consumers with an average saving of approximately $41 if purchased now, compared to on 1 May 2019," she said.

"Heat pumps on the other hand seem to be creeping up in price, increasing by an average of $40.

"According to our historical price and popularity data, over half (55 per cent) of the top five most popular heating appliances across the shopping categories of heat pumps, dehumidifiers, radiators and fan heaters appear cheaper to purchase now, compared to the end of Autumn (1 May 2019)."

Your weather outlook tomorrow

Whangārei: Cloudy periods, chance shower from evening. Easterlies. Overnight Low 7C, High 16C.

Auckland: Fine at first. Cloudy periods from afternoon as winds turn northeasterly. 4C, 14C.

Tauranga: Fine. Southeast breezes. 4C, 15C.

Hamilton: Fine, with early frosts. Light winds. 0C, 13C.

New Plymouth: Fine. Southeast breezes, turning northeast evening. 4C, 12C.

Napier: Mostly cloudy, becoming fine overnight. Southerlies gradually dying out. 3C, 13C.

Wellington: Some morning cloud, then fine. Southerlies dying out in the afternoon, then northerlies developing at night. 6C, 11C.

Nelson: Fine with a frosty start and light winds. 0C, 12C.

Christchurch: Fine with a frosty start. Northeast breezes developing. -2C, 11C.

Queenstown: Fine with early frosts. High cloud later in the day. Light winds. -3C, 8C.

Dunedin: Fine morning with inland frosts. High cloud later in the day. Northerly breezes developing. 3C, 11C.

Invercargill: Fine with early frosts, then increasing cloud. Northerly breezes developing. -1C, 9C.