Clear skies bring plummeting overnight temps

Tauranga at 7am this morning. Image: MetService.

Clear skies in many parts of the country brought plummeting overnight temperatures, with Tauranga close to one degree in Tauranga early this morning.

Timaru was close to -5 degrees and Hamilton around -2C.

According to the MetService, it is currently 1.9 degrees in Tauranga at 7.30am.

"There's a ridge of high pressure across the country, so settled conditions and clear skies in many places," says MetService meteorologist Hannah Moes.

"But in the far south there's a big swathe of high cloud that would have kept temperatures a bit warmer in areas that would normally be cold under a ridge. They have a kind of a blanket over them."

By about 5.30am Wednesday, Taupō had got as low as -3.2C, Blenheim -2.7C, Taumarunui -2.2C, Christchurch -1.5C, Upper Hutt -4C, and St Arnaud in Nelson Lakes -6.5C.

Most of the country should have a dry, although cool, day but some rain is expected in the south, and there could be a few early showers for Gisborne and northern Hawke's Bay.

"There's a couple of fronts approaching the South Island tomorrow and so you get the northwesterlies setting up there. It's not going to be a warm day - it's still the middle of winter - but it's going to be a little bit warmer overnight.

"So we're not looking at dropping into the negatives tonight for any major centres in the South Island, but the North Island's still likely to be under the ridge of high pressure, so could be below freezing tonight for sheltered places there."

Auckland is forecast to get to 14C on Wednesday with a sunny morning but cloudy periods from afternoon.

Wellington is expected to be fine with light winds and a high of 12C. A high of 11C is forecast for Christchurch, with early frosts, a fine day and some high cloud from afternoon.

- Stuff

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