Mother's Day weekend weather: Chilly nights, dry days on the cards

7:33 pm on 10 May 2024

Frost in Christchurch on 10 May. Photo: RNZ / Maree Mahony

While the wintry temperatures are set to continue over the weekend, it will not be as cold as Thursday night.

This morning, parts of the country woke to below freezing temperatures, amid fears there wouldn't be enough electricity to go around.

The coldest place on Friday was Christchurch at -6C, MetService said.

An extra layer of clothing was required this morning

A few of our stations even broke their record low May temperatures.

Christchurch Airport was just 0.1°C from their May record with data back to 1954! pic.twitter.com/pLDbl01OOe
— MetService (@MetService) May 9, 2024

MetService meteorologist John Law said there would be more cloud feeding in towards Canterbury through Friday night and also up towards Hawke's Bay and Gisborne, but it would not be as cold as Thursday night's temperatures.

But Waikato, Bay of Plenty and the central North Island would be cold and frosty once again on Saturday morning, Law said.

Forecaster Micky Malivuk said the central North Island was expected to be the coldest, with temperatures of minus 3 degrees in Taupo.

Hokitikia and Greymouth would be about 2C and 3C and down towards the southern parts of Canterbury would be also be frosty.

"By the time we head towards the end of the day [Saturday] clearer skies will be back with us and when we do see any showers around these eastern areas or perhaps down in the far south, they're not going to add up to an awful lot - it's just a touch more cloud," Law said.

"In places like Northland and Auckland it stays pretty dry and pretty clear through the daytime."

Saturday night temperatures would drop back down to below freezing in central areas, Law said, with Palmerston North down to about 2C.

"More cloud in towards Whanganui down towards Manawatū and Wellington and I think as we head through the morning, that should start to break up and clear away."

It will turn into a fine clear night but a pretty cool one as we head into Sunday morning, he said.

On Sunday the North Island will reach highs of 15C in Auckland, with Tauranga looking like the spot to be with plenty of sunshine reaching 16C.

The South Island is looking fine and dry through the daytime on Sunday but there is more cloud for the southern parts of Otago and an odd shower for Southland and Fiordland Coast, Law said.

"But for most of us it's a dry story."