Bay of Plenty residents woke to a cold morning with one degree reported at 6.30am in Tauranga.

The MetService says last night was one of the coldest nights of 2016, with many regions dropping below 0 degrees.

A frosty morning in Te Puke. Photo: Ngapera Pinga.

Tauranga's overnight low was recorded at one degree. Image: MetService.

The freezing temperatures can be attributed to the weekend's brutal polar blast that saw the mercury drop to -7 degrees in some places in the South Island.

Snow in the Central North Island has seen the closure of State Highway 5/Napier Taupo Road.

'People travelling in this area are warned to expect lengthy delays as the detour route adds 4-5 hours to their trip,” reports the NZ Transport Agency.

Snow in Taupo at the weekend. Photo: NZTA Twitter.

The NZTA has also issued an ice warning for SH29, Lower Kaimai.

The MetService is forecasting clear skies for the Bay this week, with temperatures slowly rising as the week moves on.

According to the MetService's five day forecast, rain is expected to move into the Bay on Friday.

It's a chilly morning. Mt Cook Aero dipped to -14.1°C & Desert Rd -8.4°C. Current obs https://t.co/ziBZZ8yIbP ^PL pic.twitter.com/EwJxs8bwIJ

— MetService (@MetService) August 7, 2016