Blue skies as hot weather starts to bite

Ashton Lloyd, 8, eating strawberries at Garelja Brothers' gardens in West Auckland. Photo / Doug Sherring

Holidays are over for many returning home today but the weather is promising to remain a scorcher in some places.

The North Island will be bathed in sunshine with temperatures hitting the mid-20s today, says the MetService.

But the South Island will boast the best of it, with temperatures expected to soar as high as 33°C in Ashburton, Twizel and Alexandra. Dunedin and Christchurch are also tipped to push the mercury above 30°C.

"It should be a pretty nice day for most places," said MetService duty meteorologist Chelsea Glue.

If you're travelling back to Auckland by car, expect a hot journey. The City of Sails is expected to reach 25°C.

And Glue said there was good news for those not returning to work just yet.

The golden spell was expected to continue with a high parked over the North Island for the next four days.

Temperatures are expected to hover around the mid-20s. And although a front will bring patches of rain to the South Island and bottom of the North Island on Tuesday, the good weather is expected to return Wednesday.