Several parts of New Zealand could drop below freezing temperatures over the next week, weather forecasters say.
NIWA warns the Southern Ocean will be "open for business" - while MetService cautions "the cold is coming".
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The cold snap will see much of the South Island and parts of the North Island waking up to around freezing or below 0C on Wednesday.
"Cool southwesterlies cover the country over the next few days then give way to a high pressure," MetService says.
"The cooler airmass combined with clear and calm conditions overnight will lead to cold midweek mornings."
Parts of Taupō, Taumarunui, Waikato and inland Bay of Plenty will be either around 0C or below, while the Coromandel will drop up to 6C below its average for this time of year. Even Aucklanders will feel the cold at 4C.
In the South Island, Queenstown, Timaru and Blenheim will drop to a forecast minimum of -2C, while Ashburton, Wanaka and Invercargill will shiver on -1C.
The far south can expect snow down to around 500 metres on Sunday, with a road snowfall warning issued for Crown Range Road and Milford Road.
Newshub.
