Parts of New Zealand will wake up to a light frost this morning. Photo / Duncan Brown
The crunch of frost will be felt underfoot this morning in places as the country wakes up to a crisp autumn morning.
The calm and clear night combined with a southerly flow cooled overnight temperatures across the country.
Inland areas of the central North Island, including Taupo, Taumarunui and Taihape, all hovered around 0C this morning.
Auckland dropped to 8C and Christchurch to 3C as most of the country slipped into single figures.
However, those cooler temperatures will all rise through the morning for a warm, fine autumn day across the country.
MetService meteorologist Arno Dyason said yesterday's fine weather pattern will continue as a big ridge of high pressure hovers over New Zealand.
A fine day is forecast for Auckland with southeasterlies and a high of 18C.
Similar weather is on the cards for Northland, Taranaki, Waikato and Bay of Plenty.
Both coasts of the South Island are also in for a fine day and temperatures in the late teens.
The weekend forecast for the North Island is much of the same. The only real change for the country arrives on Saturday in the lower South Island when a cold front is expected to move northeast, then over the upper South Island and lower North Island on Sunday.
A second front is expected to reach the lower South Island late on Sunday, and continue northeast on Monday followed by a cooler southwesterly flow.
Periods of rain are expected about western parts of the South Island and lower North Island.
Heavy rain could fall in Fiordland and south Westland on Saturday and Sunday.
Northern Westland and Buller could also be in for heavy rain late Saturday and early Sunday.
In its outlook for May, released yesterday, MetService said the month would bring a brief change away from April's highly unsettled weather.
April was a stormy, changeable month and frequent lows and damaging storms affected New Zealand.
Northwesterlies return this weekend, before a mixture of intermittent lows favouring the North Island, stalled highs, and southwesterlies produce a wide range of weather conditions for the remainder of the month.
A drier than usual May is forecast for Southland and the West Coast of the South Island.
Near normal May rainfall totals are predicted for all other regions of the country.
However, it would also be slightly cooler than usual.
Fairly typical May temperatures are expected for much of the South Island, apart from Nelson and Marlborough, but the North Island's temperatures will be cooler.
Whangarei Fine, apart from a few cloudy periods. Southeasterlies. 18C high, 10C overnight.
Auckland Fine with southeasterlies. 18C high, 8C overnight.
Hamilton Fine with light winds. 18C high, 4C overnight.
Tauranga Fine. Southeasterlies dying out evening. 18C high, 8C overnight.
New Plymouth Fine. Southeasterlies dying out afternoon. 18C high, 7C overnight.
Napier Fine spells. Southerlies dying out afternoon. 16C high, 6C overnight.
Wellington A fine day with light winds. 16C high, 8C overnight.
Nelson Morning and evening cloud, otherwise fine. Light winds. 17C high, 9C overnight.
Christchurch Fine, apart from low cloud or fog morning and night. Northeast breezes. 16C high, 9C overnight.
Dunedin Fine, variable high cloud. Northerly breezes. 17C high, 9C overnight.
It's understood a NZDF aircraft and multiple helicopters are involved.