Chilly start to the week but it's getting warmer

It was a frosty morning in Rotorua yesterday. Photo/File

Rotorua woke up to a fine but cold day this morning with the district experiencing its coldest morning of winter so far.

Between 4am and 6am temperatures dropped to -3.8C, leaving a healthy frost on the ground in most parts of the region.

However, by lunchtime the temperature had hit double digits with a high of 11C recorded at 1.30pm.

The MetService five-day forecast shows it will be another fine but frosty morning tomorrow with the temperature dropping to 2C overnight and reaching a maximum of 11C during the day.

Rain, some heavy, is expected to return on Wednesday and Thursday with strong northerlies turning easterly on Wednesday and changing to gusty south easterlies by late Thursday.

Wednesday is expected to reach 12C and Thursday 13C.

MetService meteorologist Tom Adams said the fine weather sticks around tomorrow and "it will be a bit warmer with the wind changing to the west".

"Cloud builds up Tuesday with a low moving on to the North Island with rain and heavy falls on Wednesday easing Thursday and getting fine again Friday."

Mr Adams said looking ahead to the weekend, there was rain forecast for both Saturday and Sunday and early next week.