KEY POINTS:
If you've been feeling a little down lately, make sure you lap up the rays when you can.
It may have taken hours to get a tan in yesterday's autumn sun but that didn't stop Aucklanders taking advantage of it. The Herald snapped a shirtless man sleeping soundly under the Pohutukawa trees at Okahu Bay in Auckland City.
MetService forecaster Jo Gaudie said sunlight produced vitamin D in the body and was known to boost serotonin levels.
"At this time of year some people need to get their sunshine to keep their mood elevated."
The sun was sitting low in the sky at this time of year so "you'd have to be out there a long time [to get a tan]," she said.
The temperature in the city reached 15C and was expected to drop to 6C overnight.
"Okahu Bay was probably the pick of the bays," Ms Gaudie said.
"It wasn't particularly warm but the sun has certainly been out all day."
Winds were light in the morning but picked up by the evening. The weather was fairly typical for autumn, Ms Gaudie said.
In other parts of the country yesterday, the warmest place was Kaitaia on 19C and the coolest Milford Sound, which reached 8C.
The Cancer Society of New Zealand earlier in the month said people could shed their hats and sunscreen for a short time each week from now until September.
Skin cancer control adviser Judith Galtry said: "We're conscious that people shouldn't compromise their vitamin D levels by being sun smart when it's not necessary.
"Vitamin D is ... important for strong bones and general good health. It may also protect against some cancers."
