MetService says despite more mild temperatures recorded this morning across the country, some "bitterly cold" conditions are on the way due to a mix of strong winds and cold air.
The double-digit temperatures recorded this morning were a welcome reprieve from the sub-zero figures felt earlier this week as a lingering cold snap swept across the country.
Yesterday MetService issued some weather watches as an active trough, preceded by strong northerly winds, moved onto Aotearoa.
This morning the forecaster said thunderstorms were "currently pinging in northern Cook Strait and the North Taranaki Bight this morning".
"Showers will be continuing through today with a chance of squally thunderstorms along the west coast from the glaciers to New Plymouth."
Meteorologist John Law told Breakfast conditions would turn "bitterly cold" for the South Island due to a combination of very cold air and strong winds.
"It is going to be a pretty blustery story," he said.
"The persistent winds as well pushing in from the south, so gusts perhaps around about 100km/h in the most exposed area, so around those coastal fringes and places like Banks Peninsula, which stick out in that southerly flow, will catch the strongest of the winds."
He said the coldness combined with very strong winds will make it feel "bitterly cold" for places including Dunedin and Invercargill.
"Your top temperature is probably going to be this morning, and then it gets colder as we head through the afternoon. But definitely feeling colder in those stronger winds," he explained.
He said this morning Christchurch woke to a balmy 11C, and explained that while temperatures could drop to 8C, it would feel more like 3C because of the wind chill.
"We emit heat, which gives us this envelope of warmth around us. The faster the wind, the quicker that warmth can get stripped away, and the colder it feels for us. So it's really that apparent temperature, but it will be feeling cold, especially where we're in those exposed, windy spots around the coasts of, say, the south of the country, but also places like Wellington."
He painted a bleak picture for Saturday morning sports and outdoor activities, forecasting rain and wind for most.
"If you're out early tomorrow, be aware it's going to be feeling pretty cold. So for those early morning sports, it's a pretty windy one, and still some showers pushing through as well. Saturday, we've got some of that wet weather just across the north of the country too."
Full watches and warnings list
Strong Wind Watch
Christchurch and Banks Peninsula, and Canterbury Plains about and east of Lincoln – eight hours from 5pm today to 1am Saturday.
Coastal Otago – 10 hours from midday to 10pm.
Coastal Southland and southern Fiordland – 18 hours from 11pm Thursday to 5pm today.
Road Snowfall Warnings
Desert Road (SH1) – seven hours from 1am Saturday to 8am Saturday.
Lewis Pass (SH7) – 28 hours from 6am today to 10am Saturday.
Arthur's Pass (SH73) – 14 hours from 3am today to 5pm today.
Porters Pass (SH73) – 13 hours from 5pm today to 6am Saturday.
Lindis Pass (SH8) – 14 hours from 6pm today to 8am Saturday.
Crown Range Road – 15 hours from 9am today to midnight today.
Milford Road (SH94) – 19 hours from 11pm Thursday to 6pm today.
The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including snow closes roads, Spanish police overwhelmed by a crowd of migrants, and how a car ended up inside a bus. (Source: 1News)
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