A taste of winter: frosty mornings in Christchurch, Taupō and Queenstown

Cold winds and freezing temperatures are expected in most parts of the country.

Setting the trend for the South Island, Queenstown on Thursday morning is forecast to fall to -1C, and on Friday Christchurch could wake up to -3C, MetService said.

Parts of Southland, Otago, Canterbury and Marlborough could see some snow from Wednesday afternoon into the early hours of Thursday.

There are road snow warnings for Porters Pass and Arthur’s Pass.

Some cool mornings are also expected in the North Island, where Taupō is expected to drop to -2C on Wednesday and Hamilton is expected to hit 0C on Friday.

“Frost will be a notable feature this week,” MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane said.

He said May this year was forecast to be much colder than last year.

“Many will remember the tropical temperatures of May 2023, when places like Auckland and Hamilton experienced record-breaking warm nights.

“However, this year, an overnight drop to mid-single digits is expected in Auckland city and early morning temperatures close to freezing in Hamilton.”

Makgabutlane said a bright Tuesday was part of this week’s wintry mix.

“Between the rain, the cold southerly winds and the frigid temperatures, it will definitely feel like winter.”

He attributed it to several cold fronts moving north and bringing rain and colder temperatures.

It comes as the El Niño weather phenomenon is expected to end later this month.

Last week, Ben Noll, a forecaster at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), said we shouldn’t expect much rain yet between May and July.

While May is expected to feature rounds of cold southerly winds, Noll said there could be milder westerly winds from the end of the month into June and July.

“It’s been a pretty cool fall so far and it will stay that way until May,” he said.

“As we approach winter, there are signs that temperatures could become somewhat milder for the time of year as we approach June and July because the winds may change direction.

“The average person might think, ‘Oh, it’s been really cold lately, it’s going to be really cold this winter,’ and that’s not necessarily the case.”

El Niño is part of a climate phenomenon called the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) system.

ENSO influences rainfall, temperature and wind patterns around the world, including New Zealand.