It's been a freezing morning for Kiwis waking up to Mother's Day across the country, with the North Island bearing the brunt.
Rotorua set the record for the second coldest May temperature since 1972, while those in Auckland felt the temperature plummet to below zero.
However, MetService says there is some good news ahead, with next week expected to see a return of standard autumn temperatures.
MetService meteorologist Clare O'Connor said Rotorua Airport saw a record-setting temperature of -3.3C at 6:30am - the second coldest May temperature recorded in Rotorua since 1972 - on Sunday morning.
"The record is -3.6C, so a little bit more needed to get there, but it definitely would have been a cold morning for them," she said.
According to O'Connor, the North Island has been getting the worst of the cold weather, with Rangitaiki plummeting to -8.7C overnight.
She said it's likely the small town, between Napier and Taupō, woke up to frost in the morning.
"It definitely would've been frosty, and if there were shaded parts of the road they could be icy so that's something to look out for."
O'Connor said the icy temperatures felt this morning were also felt on Saturday night.
"There were icy windscreens and things from 8pm, so even if you were going out on Saturday night or catching up with friends you would've had to scrape your windscreen just to go out," she said.
Waiouru had the second coldest temperature on Sunday morning, dropping to a freezing -7.2C at around 6am.
And those in south Auckland felt temperatures drop to -1.1C in Ardmore, near Papakura, around 7am.
Those in Christchurch and Hamilton woke up to -1C at around 8:20am, while temperatures in Twizel plummeted to -4.1C.
O'Connor said Wellington was "very cloudy" with a temperature of 8.4C overnight.
She said the cloud often acts as a cover from the colder temperatures.
"The clearer skies allow the temperatures to cool down easier, and those clear skies bring those colder temperatures," she explained. "Whereas when it's cloudy. it traps everything in, and the air doesn't cool down as such."
"There's been a bit of a ridge of high pressure over the country at the moment as well which helps keep skies clear too."
O'Connor said from next week Kiwis can expect less extreme temperatures, as the country sees a return to "what we would normally expect at this time of year."
"It's still May, it's still heading into winter, so it will still be cold - just not as cold as it has been."
Mother's Day
MetService said despite it being a frosty morning in many places on Sunday morning, most cities are forecast to get a fine Mother's Day.
"Wellington is expected to be sunnier this afternoon," she said. "The eastern parts of the North Island should also be really nice."
O'Connor said Christchurch can expect to wake up to some cloud cover, which will clear up later in the day.
"Unfortunately, the wet places on Mother's Day will be Invercargill where it's a bit wetter down there sadly, and through Taranaki."
She said those in Auckland can expect to see some clouds, but "it'll still be pretty good for most of the day."
