The winter solstice is living up to its name today, as people around the country wake up to a chilly morning on the shortest day of the year.
Fine weather is forecast for much of the country - except for the eastern part of the North Island, which will seesome showers during the day.
Aucklanders heading in to work early this morning are in for a teeth-chattering start; with the temperature feeling like 3C just before 7am, according to MetService.
A high of 13C is forecast for the City of Sails and an overnight low of 5C will mean for double the blankets tonight. Fine conditions are expected throughout the day.
Aucklanders however will be thankful that they are not further south in Ranfurly, which recorded a wintry temperature this morning of -7.1C.
The weather authority says now is the time for people to make use of the "feels like" temperature feature on its website, which shows what the temperature actually feels like for different parts of New Zealand.
It's a cold start to the shortest day of the year. File Photo / Dean Purcell
Several cities recorded very cold temperatures early on; including -1C in Timaru, Invercargill and Blenheim. Queenstown was recording -2C and Hamilton 1C, while Stewart Island was in for a surprising 5C.
The coldest place just before 7am was in Twizel, where -4.9C was recorded. While the warmest place to be in the country was in Kaitaia, which was recording 10.1C.
People in Northland can expect occasional showers today - mainly in the east.
Mōrena! It's a cold one across the country this morning and there are a few more cold nights to come. Brrr. 🥶 pic.twitter.com/H2WF18G4kz
Those on the Coromandel Peninsula, like Auckland, can look forward to mainly fine weather.
However, a few showers about Great Barrier Island and northern Coromandel Peninsula are on the cards also.
Waikato to Kāpiti Coast, including the Bay of Plenty and the central high country, will be mainly fine. But some isolated morning showers are forecast about the Manawatū Gorge and southern Kāpiti Coast.
Showers are expected in Gisborne and Hawke's Bay. But they will gradually ease throughout the day.
In Wellington and Wairarapa, conditions will be mostly cloudy with a few light showers in the mix.
Further south in Marlborough and Canterbury, the weather will be mainly fine. However, a few light showers are expected about the Sounds, Kaikōura Coast and Banks Peninsula.
Sunny weather is on the cards for Nelson, Buller, Westland, Fiordland, Otago and Southland - apart from areas of fog or low cloud in the valleys, MetService says.
