Watch those temperatures tumble again soon.

Most of New Zealand is in for another cold night, with frosts expected in many inland places and also quite close to the coast where any afternoon breeze dies out.

In fact, air temperatures are expected to drop to freezing or below throughout much of inland Marlborough, Canterbury and Otago, and in the central North Island, leading to a very crunchy frost in parts.

By dawn, temperatures in some sheltered valleys could well be 5degC or more colder than average for late May.

For a milder night, you’d have to be living in Northland, Auckland or the Coromandel, where skies will be mostly cloudy with easterly winds and there will be a few showers about too.

Here temperatures will still only be about average, falling to the low teens.

On Thursday, high pressure and bright sunshine across much of the country except the far north will encourage afternoon temperatures to rise several degrees above normal in inland places.

But highs down the east coasts of both islands will only be about average, as chilly breezes off the sea develop.

For Max & Min NZ Temperature maps for the next few days and nights ahead, please visit our new maps page: https://www.weatherwatch.co.nz/maps-radars/temperature/temperature

By Guest Weather Analyst Paul Gorman – WeatherWatch.co.nz