It's a frosty start to the day for much of the country as Kiwis are warned of possible power cuts on Friday.
It was another unseasonably chilly night on Thursday and into the early morning, with temperatures plummeting as low as a frigid -6C in Christchurch, -5 in Taumarunui and -3 in Palmerston North at around 5am.
It comes amid an ongoing cold snap that has seen frosty conditions chill swathes of the country, with MetService meteorologist Ngaire Wotherspoon warning that Thursday night would "likely be the coldest of the lot".
"The current cold spell isn't going anywhere," she added.
Clear skies have partly contributed to the drop in temperatures, with fellow meteorologist John Law noting on Thursday that "severe frosts" were likely through inland Canterbury and the central North Island.
Other areas sitting around or below freezing early on Friday were Hamilton and Timaru at 0C, Masterton, Ashburton, Blenheim and Wānaka at -2, and -1 for Taupō and Queenstown.
Auckland meanwhile was a chilly 4C, while the capital was sitting at just 3C.
Law confirmed it was the second coldest May morning on record for Christchurch, with Christchurch Airport recording a polar -6.2C. It was also the coldest May morning in 34 years for Whitianga, which came in at -2C.
The lowest temperature recorded across the country so far on Friday was in St Arnaud in the Tasman District, at a shocking -8C.
For Kiwis feeling the cold on Friday, possible power outages could spell an even chillier start to the weekend - with households warned to conserve electricity and reduce their usage.
On Thursday, Transpower warned of a potential shortfall in electricity supply between 7am and 9am due to the "unseasonal cold snap" and low wind generation.
The state-owned transmission company urged people to be "mindful of their electricity use" to "reduce overall demand and help towards ensuring there is power available for all".
Kiwis have been urged to avoid charging appliances or electric vehicles and delay using the washing machine, dryer or dishwasher during that time period.
The company also advised turning off heaters and lights in rooms that weren't being used until 9am, despite the freezing temperatures for much of the country this morning.
"It is forecast to be a very cold morning and people should stay warm by heating rooms they are using and continuing to keep them warm," Transpower said.
"However, they could consider turning down the temperature slightly between 7am-9am (by 1-2 degrees)."
Transpower is working with electricity lines' companies to switch off hot water systems on Friday to reduce demand, it said, noting these systems are regularly switched on and off during the day.
Major industrial electricity consumers have also been asked to reduce their use during the same period.
"If action from lines companies and major industrial consumers, alongside support from New Zealanders to conserve electricity, is not enough to keep the power system in balance, Transpower may need to work with lines companies to switch off supply to some areas around New Zealand," it warned.
"This would be for a short time until the electricity supply shortage is resolved and will prevent the risk of widespread and longer outages.
"We encourage people to check websites and Facebook pages from Transpower, their electricity retailer or local lines company for updates."
Earlier this week, MetService warned Kiwis to "grab the blankets and hot chocolate" with icy weather set to chill parts of the country.
In a forecast shared to YouTube on Wednesday, Law warned a polar blast was imminent with more cold nights to come.
"Where it stays clear, it stays cold - a cold and frosty morning first thing on Friday," he said.
