Temperatures set to dive

Freezing temperatures and southerlies sourced from the Antarctic means it may be time to bundle up and prepare those winter meals.

Cold southerly gales spreading up the country yesterday will continue northward, clearing rain but bringing cooler temperatures.

MetService meteorologist April Clark said there was a strong southerly flow coming and no one would escape the cold winds that came with it.

“They are getting air coming straight off the Antarctic ice sheets,” Clark said.

The trend was moving from the south and would begin easing as it moved northward, she said.

“It is very cold and it is looking like that will continue.”

“As skies clear overnight it will be cold inland in the far south, cold overnight temperatures will move north and then affect the North Island by Tuesday.

“Once showers clear then it will spell colder weather.”

The high in Auckland today is expected to be 12C, with an overnight low of 6C.

Down in the South Island the Lewis Pass and Porters Pass were expecting snow overnight as snow was forecast down to 500m.

There was also a chance of snow showers on the North Island’s Desert Rd as well as Rimutaka Rd, Clark said.

Hot water bottles and extra blankets were needed last night, meteorologist Brian Mercer said.

“In the North Island we would expect places in inland Waikato to get down to about 1C and some of those higher areas like Rotorua and Taupo will get down to about 1C as well.”

The winter snap is expected to ease over the next few days.