Omarama residents wake to -7.8 degrees, coldest temperatures in country

The temperature dropped to -7.8 degrees Celsius near Omarama this morning, making it the coldest place in the country.

MetService meteorologist Lewis Ferris said New Zealand remained under a high pressure system and the light winds and clear skies combined with long nights, meant temperatures in some places were among the coldest seen so far this winter.

"It has been a cold wintery start around a lot of the country but of course the coldest temperatures were seen down in the South Island a station we have near Omarama got down to -7.8 degrees."

Mt Cook Airport recorded -7.6 degrees, while Auckland Airport recorded its coldest morning of the year, at 3 degrees.

MetService data showed the coldest recorded temperature was -25.6 degrees near Ranfurly in 1903, and more recently the same area recorded -21.6 degrees in 1995.

Ferris said the country was likely to see cold temperatures throughout July, but next week a warmer weather system would bring northerly rain and clouds that will see temperatures climb again.

"It does look like Saturday will start off chilly around the country and Sunday on the cooler side as well but as we head into next week we have a weather system that will bring some warmer weather, some clouds and rain from the north and we will see those temperatures begin to climb back up."

Ferris said that would be more noticeable in the north, with frosty conditions set to continue in Otago and Southland.

NIWA said provisionally, a new national mean sea level pressure record was set in Ranfurly, Central Otago, reaching 1046.5 hPa on July 10.

This high pressure system was among the strongest to pass over New Zealand on record, according to its national climate database.

Meanwhile the police were warning Southland drivers to be careful on the roads after multiple reports of black ice on roads.

Combined with thick fog and clear skies, motorists needed to be on the lookout for ice, fog or excess grit on the road, police said.