As the days get longer, New Zealand and the Southern Hemisphere say goodbye to the Solar Winter today - the 12 weeks of the year with the least amount of available sunlight.

The shortest day of the year was on June 21, so it's six weeks either side of that mark, says WeatherWatch.co.nz

"New Zealand's coldest weather usually peaks during the solar winter but with a delay in temperatures dropping from the shortest day of the year, we sometimes find some very cold air lingers right across August and into September," says a spokesperson for the weather organisation.

"But the days are now getting noticeably longer and if you're someone who looks for brighter days and silver linings then you can now say we've finished with the solar winter and the days are getting longer, faster."

How much longer is today compared to the shortest day of the year, back on June 21?

• Auckland / Northern NZ: The sun is rising 15 minutes earlier and setting 25 minutes later - providing 40 minutes more daylight.
• Dunedin / Southern NZ: The sun is rising 24 minutes earlier and setting 33 minutes later - providing an extra 57 minutes more daylight.