A NEW Zealand man was found dead on the patio of a Clermont home yesterday morning, after he slept outside in what one resident described as "freezing" conditions.

Reports suggest the 40-year-old man told his friends he was going to sleep outside on Tuesday night.

It is believed friends covered him with a blanket, but when they found him in the morning he was dead.

According to the Bureau of Meteorology, the temperature in Clermont dropped to just 1 degree Celsius at 6.30am yesterday.

A local business owner said it was a cold night, but not unusual for the area.

A Queensland Police Media spokeswoman said the death was being treated as non-suspicious.

She could not confirm if the cold was to blame.

Medics yesterday told The Morning Bulletin it was unlikely a healthy 40-year-old man would die from cold conditions, however, it could have been a contributing factor.

The police spokeswoman said a report would be prepared for the Coroner, who would determine the exact cause of death.

Police in Wellington were yesterday contacting the man's family.