The three month period with the least amount of available sunlight ends today.

As the days get longer, NZ and the Southern Hemisphere say goodbye to the Solar Winter on August 2 – the 12 weeks of the year with the least amount of available sunlight, says WeatherWatch.co.nz head forecaster Philip Duncan.

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

"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.

"Frosts and snow storms can occur well into October for some parts of NZ.

"But the days are now getting noticeably lighter and 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.

"In fact, in September, we gain about 20 minutes of extra sunlight every single week!"

So does that mean August 2 is the start of Spring? To some people - yes, says Duncan.

"But as you'll see from this news story here, there are actually FOUR different start dates to Spring and one of them is still several weeks away!"

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.