KEY POINTS:
Heading south for summer might be the best option for campers and sun-seekers looking to stay dry and catch some extra rays over the coming months.
The weather forecast for the season shows the hottest, driest weather will be found in the lower North Island and the South Island this year, with above average rain and less sunshine for the northern regions.
A La Nina weather pattern that has continued through the winter will likely carry on over summer; La Nina causes changes in rainfall and wind direction, often creating the opposite effect to the El Nino phenomenon (which warms the temperature of the ocean), that influenced our skies last summer.
The good news, according to MetService ambassador Bob McDavitt, is that temperatures will be warmer than normal over most of the country.
The bad news is that for those living north of Taihape and Taumarunui, it will be "wetter than normal, more humid and more cloudy".
Cheryl Jensen, of Destination Northland, was not worried about a humid summer affecting tourists and regular visitors to the area.
"There are often doom and gloom forecasts... but the weather is a mystery up here," she explained.
"There are a lot of micro-climates and a forecast for the whole area often doesn't fit the whole region.
"In this day and age sunning yourself on the beach isn't necessarily the best option anyway."
Summer forecasts include the months of December, January and February. Niwa and Metservice reports warn the upper North Island will have a wet, sticky few months.
"South of Taihape, it will be more sunny and drier than usual," McDavitt explained. "And the strongest sunburns will be in the South Island." Central Otago will be the country's driest place.
La Nina patterns typically give Manawatu and Wellington "abundant sunshine and lighter winds", reads the Metservice predictions, while Auckland will have humidity and cloud, offset by some extended times of dry weather.
Lunar cycle weatherman Ken Ring, who publishes an annual weather almanac, said temperatures may drop in February.
The predicted extra wind and rain will, however, make some people happy. Angus Eggo, from surf.co.nz agreed, saying the cyclone season weather would bring good swells to east coast beaches from Northland to Napier.
"It might not be so good for the campers, but it's great for surfers."
