Sub-zero temps hit parts of Auckland as suburbs wake to ice, frosts
Parts of Auckland are recording one of the coldest mornings of winter, with sheltered suburbs dropping below freezing overnight.
MetService meteorologist Silvia Martino said Whenuapai in northwest Auckland was the city’s coldest spot this morning, sitting at -1C around 6am. Ardmore in South Auckland had also dropped below 0C just after midnight.
The MetService website shows western suburbs including Waitakere and Te Atatū are shivering at -0.7C, while the central city is slightly warmer at 2.8C.
One inner-city Auckland resident said he heard the ice crack as he opened his car door.
However further north Whangaparāoa is basking in balmy temperatures this morning, hovering around 9C before dawn.
The North Island’s Central Plateau had the coldest overnight temperatures of -6.5C at 4am, while one of the warmest populated areas was Manapouri in Fiordland at 10C this morning, Martino said.
MetService had forecast Auckland to have its coldest night of the year so far, but Martino said the morning of July 12 had been slightly colder.
The shivery start also extends north, with Whangārei at 3C this morning and Kerikeri and Paihia at 4C.
The last two mornings have brought some of the North Island’s lowest temperatures of the year, with bitter frosts and nippy breezes prompting Kiwis to reach for their beanies, scarves and gloves.
An icy blast and a “decent dumping” of snow was also predicted across both islands, potentially disrupting travel.
The sub-zero temperatures have also pushed electricity demand to record levels.
MetService meteorologist Luis Fernandes told the Herald many inland North Island communities would wake to frosts before “another mostly clear day”.
The South Island, however, would begin to see the first signs of a significant pattern change with a series of fronts approaching from the Tasman Sea, he said.
“We are going to see an increase in cloud over the western coastlines, and rain spreading up places like Westland and Fiordland.
“They can expect things to become increasingly wet as the day goes on.”
Despite the deteriorating conditions, the fronts will also bring warmer air, with cloud and wind helping to keep overnight temperatures “a little bit higher”, Fernandes said.
Christchurch and Timaru are forecast to reach 16C today, while Invercargill is expected to climb to 15C.
While there were no severe weather watches or warnings in place today, MetService was monitoring the front as it pushes into central New Zealand tomorrow.
There is moderate confidence heavy rain could reach warning levels in Fiordland, the ranges of Westland and nearby headwaters.
Severe northwesterly gales are also possible in the Marlborough Sounds, Wellington and Wairarapa.
Friday is shaping as the wettest day of the week, with rain sweeping across much of the North Island after moving through the South Island.
Places in the north and west of the North Island are expected to have “quite a wet day” on Friday, Fernandes said, while Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay should receive less rain.
Conditions should begin easing through Saturday, although another front is expected to reach Southland later in the day.
Fernandes said there would not be “much of a respite” once the cold, wet weather sets in.
By Sunday, however, conditions should become “quite a bit more settled” across most of the country, with only a few showers lingering.
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