Temperatures are well down today compared to this time yesterday as an icy southerly drops snow on the hills around Waikato and Bay of Plenty and sees gales gusting to almost 110km/h around East Cape.

WeatherWatch.co.nz says Tauranga reached 19 yesterday, today it will be lucky to reach 12.  It’s a similar story in Gisborne which took the national high of 21 degrees yesterday but this afternoon is sitting on 9 with a strong southerly and showers.

Gale force southerlies gusting to 93km/h are affecting the Manukau Heads with 10 degrees in Auckland city and gusts around 50 to 60km/h.

WeatherWatch.co.nz has received reports of snow falling on paddocks on the Mamaku Ranges near Rotorua and on Mt Pirongia near Te Awamutu, south of Hamilton.

Snow on Mt Pirongia, Waikato, today / John Krippner

Near gale southerlies are hitting Hawera in South Taranaki and also Wellington city.

Conditions are even worse further south with Kaikoura only on 6 degrees and a gale force southerly averaging 70km/h and gusting to 95km/h.

Christchurch has 10 degrees and gusts to 70km/h.

Oddly Milford Sound is our warmest place this hour with 17 degrees, compared to 10 degrees in the Bay of Islands, reports WeatherWatch.co.nz.