The last day of autumn brings lots of sunshine and a clear day ahead for most

The last hours of autumn will be a beautiful day to be outside with cool temperatures, but lots of sunshine for most.

Sheltered places in the north will get frost and early risers in the south will see fog or frost.

The coldest overnight temperature in the North Island was -4.1C on Desert Rd, Waiouru got to -3.6C, Hamilton and Taumarunui to -2.5C and Taupo -2.3C.

In the South Island, Mt Cook fell to -7.3C, Dunedin Airport to -5C and Lumsden -4.5C.

Middlemarch only reached a maximum 0.2C yesterday, setting a new May record for coldest temperature. The old record was 2C set in 2006.

Ranfurly failed to reach 0C in the afternoon, only getting -1C.

A few showers will clip Gisborne and the East Coast today and a band of showers will push through the Wairarapa and into Wellington late in the morning, but these will clear in the afternoon.

The top temperature expected for the day is 16C for Whangarei.

Calm and crisp wintry days will persist until the end of the week, apart from a couple of subtle clouds and morning and evening drizzle on the east coast of the South Island and northeast parts of the North Island.

Here's an up close look at the frost risk around the Auckland region on Thursday morning. Check out the southern suburbs!

Frost looks to be widespread across the Waikato and even in parts of the Coromandel Peninsula. pic.twitter.com/RDfb91p9m4

— NIWA Weather (@NiwaWeather) May 30, 2018

However, on Saturday a band of rain will move over the top of the North Island and move southwards during the weekend, bringing rain and easterlies to much of the north and upper South Island.

It will reach Auckland on Saturday and possibly bringing some heavy falls, before spreading to the Coromandel Peninsula and the Bay of Plenty on Sunday.

MetService meteorologist April Clark said temperatures will begin to heat up as we head into the weekend, as a northeasterly flow develops over the country.

"We had the big run of southerlies, which brought the cold air from the south - that is what started this cooler snap.

"We will obviously get these cool temperatures again, but as we head into Saturday, over the North Island those nor-easterlies will start to develop and that will bring warmer air from the north.

"It is looking warmer in the weekend, but we will be getting more of this for sure as we head into winter."

Today's forecast

Whangarei: Fine. Light winds.High 15C / Low 6C.

Auckland: Fine with early frosts inland. Light winds. High 14C / Low 4C.

Tauranga: Fine with light winds. High 15C / Low 5C.

Hamilton: Fine, with morning fog or frost. Light winds. High 13C / Low 0C.

New Plymouth: Fine. Light southeasterlies. High 14C / Low 5C.

Napier: Cloudy periods. Southerly breezes. High 14C / Low 4C.

Wellington: Cloudy periods. A few showers developing morning, becoming confined to the south coast by evening. Southerlies. High 11C / Low 7C.

Nelson: Fine, apart from some morning cloud. Light winds. High 13C / Low 3C.

Christchurch: Cloudy apart from afternoon fine breaks. Light winds. High 10C / Low 1C.

Dunedin: Fine with morning frosts, then some evening cloud. Light winds. High 10C / Low 4C.