KEY POINTS:
Holidaymakers bemoaning the absence of summer weather can look forward to much warmer conditions in coming weeks, forecasters say.
December was cold across the country, with unusually dry weather in the north and rain in the south washing out many camping trips.
The main centres were all 2C-3C cooler than normal. Auckland had its coldest December on record since 1962, while Kelburn in Wellington recorded the coldest December since 1928.
Christchurch and Dunedin had more than twice the normal rainfall, while Auckland and Hamilton had about half their average rainfall.
Sunday's maximum temperatures of 12C and 11C in Wellington and Christchurch were close to record lows for December.
But the battery of southerly blasts that brought December's cold weather is expected to ease soon to make way for warmer weather for the remainder of summer.
"It has been a bit cold for summer so far but I think it is safe to say it will improve in that regard, that it will be warmer into January-February," said MetService forecaster Rakesh Lal.
"It will get quite hot into January and February at times. What we can't rule out is the fact that there could be a couple of other cooler spells within that period ... It probably won't be the warmest summer on record."
The weather so far this summer can be blamed on a weak El Nino weather pattern. This typically brings more low pressure systems over New Zealand, with drier weather in the north and wetter conditions in the east and south.
However, Mr Lal said the shift to warmer conditions should be noticeable in the next few days.
"The remainder of this week and the weekend is looking a lot better and a lot warmer. So there is an immediate reprieve in 2007."
While the cooler December had brought fresh snow to South Island hill country, summer skiing was unlikely.
"Freezing levels are on the rise. It [snow] may fall to 900m in a cold outbreak, but it certainly doesn't stay there for long."
