Dust off your coat and put an extra blanket on the bed – winter’s first chills will hit this week with hail and snow forecast.

Temperatures are set to drop in the coming days – by up to 10°C in the Auckland region – as a polar blast roars up New Zealand. 

The temperature plunge comes after a golden summer, then an unseasonably warm start to April when the mercury regularly reached the mid-20°Cs in Auckland. 

Metservice says the front would bring biting south to southwest winds and showers laced with hail and rain.

The South Island will bear the brunt of the cold snap. Snow is expected to fall to 400m in Canterbury and North Otago tomorrow.

The North Island would start to feel the icy blast tomorrow night.

Wellington could expect to be lashed by strong northerly gales before a southerly change ushered in heavy showers and hail.

Auckland weather would also start to pack up tomorrow with rain followed by showers and strengthening westerly winds. 

And while temperatures in the Auckland region today were expected to reach 20°C, they would drop to 16°C on Tuesday.

Overnight temperatures were forecast to be well down on the balmy 16-18°C last night, and a chilly 8°C is forecast for Wednesday.

The coldest overnight temperatures were expected in the central South Island towns of Alexandra and Twizel, where the mercury was likely to drop below 0°C. 

Wednesday would bring some respite, but rain was expected to return in time for next weekend.

Motorists have been warned to drive to the conditions and beware of ice. Farmers should prepare to move livestock to low-lying areas.

– NZ Herald