Tauranga records coldest day of the year as temperatures plummet

Icy windscreens and frosty surfaces were seen across the Bay of Plenty this morning as temperatures dipped into the minuses for some.

Tauranga got down to 2.2C, its coldest morning of the year, while Rotorua shivered at -1.0C - the same temperature the city felt yesterday morning.

Galatea dropped to -0.6C and Whakatāne chilled at 1.0C

MetService meteorologist Andy Best said a blast of cold southerlies were sweeping the country off the Southern Ocean, causing a cold snap for all.

Bay of Plenty temperatures dropped into the minuses this morning. Photo / Supplied

He said clear skies and light winds always meant cold conditions as the heat from the ground when straight into the atmosphere.

Bay of Plenty temperatures dropped into the minuses this morning. Photo / Supplied

July and August were typically the coldest months for the country, he said, but the odd low temperature did creep in elsewhere.

Rotorua recorded its coldest day of the year back in May, getting down to -1.7 degrees.

The Bay's coldest day on record was in 1992 when Rotorua got down to -4.0 degrees.