Kiwis to swelter in heat wave as temperatures over 30C

The East Coast of the North Island will bask in temperatures over 30C today as a northeasterly blows through the country.

Nationwide, the only time temperatures will cool off will be late Thursday and into Friday, MetService meteorologist Claire Flynn said, as a brief, but nippy southerly change hits the lower South Island.

Today, Hastings is expected to reach 32C, while Wairoa and Gisborne are expected to reach 31C.

Napier and Blenheim could reach 30C.

It will be the warmest day in Gisborne and Napier since early March.

Soaring temps across the east of the North Island today ... into the 30s.

Warmest day since early March expected in #Gisborne & #Napier. pic.twitter.com/AUkyEST7FO

— NIWA Weather (@NiwaWeather) November 22, 2016

A commuter ferry in Wellington Harbour was cancelled as the wind picked up.

Wind gusts of 76 kilometres an hour have been recorded by MetService this morning. A wind warning isn't issued until gusts reach 110 kilometres an hour.

By Thursday the southerly change slowly makes it up from Southland, so although Dunedin will reach 20C it will suddenly cool off. Christchurch will reach 27C on Wednesday before it drops to 15C on Thursday.

However, although the cold southerly will chill the South Island on Thursday and Friday it dies off by the time it reaches the Cook Strait.

Instead, a wet front coming from the west will hit most of the country, bringing rain and showers.

Flynn expects it to fly across so there should be more settled drier weather for the weekend.

Today's temperatures

• Whangarei, 26C
• Auckland, 21C
• Tauranga, 25C
• Hamilton, 23C
• Wellington, 19C
• Christchurch, 28C
• Dunedin, 20C