There was no sign of the cold and dreary winter in Ballarat on Friday as locals stripped off their jumpers and soaked up some much-deserved sunshine. 

While the temperature only managed to reach 13 degrees, the blue skies and sun were still a sight for sore eyes. 

Ethan Biggin, 3, made the most of the sunshine at the Botanical Gardens, stopping to smell the flowers as his mother Megan Biggin watched on. 

“We’ve been stuck inside for months, so this is very nice,” Ms Biggin said with a laugh. 

“I even packed the sunscreen... just in case.”

With the start of Spring officially still two weeks off, Saturday and Sunday should bring more sunshine similar to Friday. 

Weatherzone meteorologist Sam Brown said Saturday would almost mimic Friday, with a freezing temperature of 0 degrees eventually warming to a sunny day of 12 degrees. 

Sunday could bring some periods of light rain, developing into showers Sunday night. 

Mr Brown said maximum temperatures had been  at the average, while average lows had been just below average.