The thermometer was still struggling to reach any form of normality in the deep south again today, as inland areas got a top up of snow and coastal areas in the west and north of the country, have endured rain, hail and thunder at times, with gusty winds to boot.

Out east though, it’s been a different story with sunny skies and one or two maximum temperatures proved that today…

16 degrees went to Gisborne as the nations warmest spot ( as predicted by Weatherwatch yesterday), also sharing it with Tauranga, Auckland, Whangarei,  Kaitaia and Whakatane.

All centres in the North Island stayed in double figures today but more towns and cities on the mainland remained below 10, rather than above it, with Queenstown and Milford Sound managing just 4, while 5s and 6s featured a number of times in inland areas of Otago and Southland.

It should remain a chilly weekend in a southerly flow over the south and temperatures remaining below par for mid-August, whereas the thermometers should be near enough to average further north, even if the overhead conditions don’t always reflect that!

Keeping an eye on the skies with the latest stats- Weather analyst Richard Green