Temperatures across the nation took a dive today as daytime highs looked more like overnight lows.

In the wake of a southerly delivering very cold air to much of New Zealand, thermometers struggled to hit double figures and for some, the mix of rain, hail and snow made it feel even colder.

With the exception of the winterless north experiencing temperatures near average for August, most of the country felt the chilly air with Auckland barely reaching double figures and some centres on the mainland fortunate to stay above zero! Hanmer Springs struggled to hit 3 degrees and Christchurch didn’t fare much better with 5 degrees with sleet and snow showers falling for much of the day.

Snow has fallen across many regions in the last 24 hours and the Rimutakas north of Wellington didn’t escape either due to snow closing the road. Wellingtonians wouldn’t have been surprised as 7 degrees was as warm as it got in the capital.

As the system heads east, it’s expected freezing air overnight will result in some big frosts in some places in central and southern parts of the country, which could result in icy conditions on many roads first thing tomorrow morning.

Head weather analyst Philip Duncan has more details on the frosty conditions to come, below..