Jack Frost came out to play yesterday morning, bringing some of Otago’s coldest May temperatures on record.
Dunedin Airport reported -8.8degC, the coldest-equal May temperature since records began in 1963; Middlemarch recorded -10.1degC, the coldest May temperature since a weather station was established there in 2001; and Balclutha recorded -5.7degC, the third-equal coldest May temperature since 1964.
Ranfurly was also cold at -8.2degC, but it was nowhere near as cold as the May record of -14degC.
The coldest place in New Zealand yesterday was Tara Hills, in the Mackenzie Country, where the temperature dropped to -10.8degC.
Niwa meteorologist Ben Noll said it was "provisionally" New Zealand's lowest May temperature since 2001, excluding high-elevation locations.
Frost and freezing fog prompted warnings for road users across the region, and many roads were gritted.
"We’ve already got a layer of cloud cover sweeping across the lower South Island, so it’s just going to act as that wee blanket to keep things from cooling down so much overnight.
"Almost throughout the entire day, there could be rain across Otago and Southland. It’s not looking overly heavy by any means.
"There is snow forecast to fall to about 800m about Central Otago. There’s a road snow warning out for Lindis Pass and the Crown Range Rd."
He said the rain was likely to persist for the whole weekend, but the frosts were expected to return early next week.
"Temperatures are going to be cool over the weekend, but the wind and rain will keep things a little bit warmer.
"But once we get into next week, the flow turns pretty sharply southerly."
