A layer of frost has coated much of the country this morning.
Frost hits after on the winter solstice (file photo). Photo: RNZ/Carol Stiles
MetService said that clear skies and overnight temperatures would mean frosts were likely across much of the South Island and parts of the lower central North Island this morning.
Wellingtonians woke to a rare frost and a temperature of 1.7°C, with -3° in Upper Hutt and -1° in Kāpiti.
Ice on overhead lines affected some trains on the Kāpiti and Hutt Valley lines into the captial this morning, but Metlink said services were returning to normal.
It was a frosty start in south too with -3.2° for Christchurch, -3.1° in Queenstown and -0.5° in Nelson.
The sudden drop in temperatures coincided with yesterday's winter solstice, the shortest day of the year in the Southern Hemisphere.
MetService said weather for Friday would be mainly fine and dry throughout the country, if cold.
The weekend is also forecast to be fine, however Sunday could bring rain to the North Island and gales and snow to 500m in the South Island.