Spring might be in the air down here on the ground at sea level, but up a bit higher in the sky things are still crispy.

Recent photos sent in by SunLive reader Anthony Delo can attest to this with ice crystals causing a halo around the sun.

Ice crystals round the sun produce this halo. Photos: Anthony Delo.

'This halo is caused by the ice crystals in cirrus cloud which are falling/suspended in the air and refract the light as it shines through,” says Metservice meteorologist Lisa Murray.

'This is what gives the different colours in the halo.”

Here is a good link explaining sun halos.

22° halos can also appear around the moon, occur at any time of year and are the most common type of optical phenomenon.

From the photo it's difficult to say anything more about the exact type of optical phenomenon without knowing the exact lens, place, time the photo was taken.

'There is some cirrus cloud in the photo, and sometimes optical phenomena like this can precede an approaching front,” says Lisa.

'Currently in Tauranga we are only expecting a weak little trough as a large ridge builds over the area."