Chilly start to Mother’s Day but warming up . . . by midweek
You can treat your mum but you can’t order the weather she might want.
Temperatures dropped below zero in several regions in the early hours of Mother’s Day yesterday, with Auckland reaching a chilly low of -0.4C in Whenuapai.
MetService meteorologist Clare O’Connor said the coldest temperature recorded was in east Rangitā iki along State Highway 5 between Taupō and Napier, a low of -8.7C.
About 6.30am yesterday, Rotorua recorded its second-coldest temperature for the month since 1972 at -3.3C.
Looking towards the week, O’Connor said the central North Island should continue to expect cooler-than-average mornings today and tomorrow. Temperatures are then likely to head back to a slightly warmer May average from Wednesday onwards.
O’Connor said the North Island may be up for a wet Wednesday morning, which could also affect the top of the South Island.
The rain is expected to clear for a mostly dry period at the end of the week for most of the country.
The national power grid emergency notice that called on people to limit their electricity use was extended until 4am today. The cold start to the day risked putting extra strain on the country’s power supply, with some transmission lines closed on Saturday.