KEY POINTS:
Wow, what a fantastic weekend of weather! Temperatures roared into the 30s across the South Island while northern New Zealand enjoyed temperatures in the low to mid 20s - but with humidity higher it felt just as warm.
It's hard to believe the South Island was recently hit by a small November snow storm not experienced in over 30 years. But that's spring for ya!
I was quoted in the Weekend Herald on Saturday saying that more summer weather was on the way this week - but I have to admit that forecast has changed a little. A large area of high pressure is still moving in from the Tasman Sea but it's now looking as though it'll head a little further north than I initially expected. That means the cooler south west change moving up the country on Monday will last a couple of days longer.
Temperatures in western areas will be a little cooler than the weekend and certainly eastern areas in the South Island will be down by as much as 17 degrees!
In Auckland we might not reach 20 degrees this week but it'll still be mild with highs around 17 or 18. The large high will favour settled, warmer, conditions to northern New Zealand starting later on Tuesday and lasting to about Saturday.
The next spring storm looks likely to pounce late on Friday or Saturday in the deep south. There's the chance for gales in Southland and heavy rain along the West Coast.
Wellington looks set to be pretty sunny this week after Monday's showers clear. Auckland will probably be the warmest and sunniest of the main centres, especially towards the end of the week.
So this week looks to be relatively settled after a cool, windy and showery start, with mild weather in the north and cool weather in the south. And I know I keep saying it, but after hearing the news in the weekend that we have the worst skin cancer rate in the world it's time we started listening to the constant reminders to get out of the sun.
Aussie had the number 1 spot and now we've (unfortunately) taken it from them. I think one of the main reasons for this is the fact that, on weeks like this one, the cooler winds fool people. The burn times are now in the very high/extreme range - that means just several minutes sun exposure in the middle of the day can cause serious damage to your skin.
Even if that wind is cold or there are a few showers about - the UV levels remain the same, so keep out of the sun, or at least cover up with clothes, hats and sunscreen. Ok, rant over! Have a great week - and if you have any pictures of the fantastic weekend weather, send them in to us!
Philip Duncan
Pictured above: Competitors at the start of Auckland Harbour Crossing, which is part of the New Zealand Ocean Swim Series. Photo / Brett Phibbs
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