People have been flocking to Northland's beaches, like Ahipara, above, as temperatures soar across the region.
People have been flocking to Northland's beaches, like Ahipara, above, as temperatures soar across the region.
While the rest of New Zealand bemoans the lack of summer, Northland will keep getting great summer weather for the next couple of weeks at least, with highs of up to 30C predicted for Waitangi Weekend and into next week.
Northland has been the place to be this summer, withvery little rain, plenty of sunshine and highs above 30C, but the rest of the country has been complaining that summer has given them a miss.
MetService meteorologist Tom Adams said normally during summer high pressure weather systems, which brought good weather, would sweep across the whole country, but this year "Northland has had that persistent high pressure, but it hasn't got to the rest of the country".
Mr Adams said the rest of the country was experiencing very unseasonal weather, with Milford Sound for example having 1.2m of rain so far this summer while "it would take Northland several years to get that amount".
"There's nothing Northland has done to get all the great weather. It's just a quirk that you've had it all while the rest of the country hasn't, but there's still plenty of summer left and it will gradually get better over the rest of the country too."
Waitangi weekend looks like another great time to be in the north, with highs of 28C to 30C predicted, making the national day commemorations in the Bay of Islands set to include fantastic weather for the 30,000 people expected there.
Northland is heading for a drought - one could be declared today after a meeting between Northland Rural Support Trust and other key stakeholders - but there is little rain on the horizon for the region over the next few weeks.
Mr Adams said there was a chance of a few showers over the next week, and showers forecast for February 9, but no sign of the tropical fronts that bring moisture to the north.
"The tropics haven't happened for us so far this year. One of the big things that brings rain to Northland is stuff coming from the tropics, but there are no signs of any fronts coming from that way in the next two weeks. It doesn't mean they won't come later in the summer, but nothing for the next few weeks," he said.
"It's a bit like groundhog day for Northland over the next week or so - more sun and good weather - so Northland is going to be left thigh and dry, with little sign of any rain to give relief."
