KEY POINTS:
It's official - the country is basking in the best holiday weather in years.
Holidaymakers who usually long for golden weather but end up with rain and cool days have had a near unbroken run of sunshine - and it's not over yet.
Climate scientist Dr Jim Salinger said the long, hot, sunny days most parts of New Zealand have been experiencing this month were due to a series of anticyclones that normally don't appear until February.
"Usually it's much more unsettled so people have been pretty fortunate really," Dr Salinger said.
"A large high has settled across the country and it's extremely dry with total fire bans everywhere, even in Southland, which is unusual."
Auckland was also "drying" but could expect rain later in summer.
Dr Salinger told the Herald last night the conditions were typical of the La Nina weather pattern affecting the country and were likely to bring hotter-than-normal temperatures for the rest of the summer.
But he warned the long fine spell would eventually come to an end.
"I shouldn't imagine it will last, it will become wetter later in January."
He couldn't recall the last time the country had such a good run of weather at this time of year.
Weatherwise Auckland principal Carla Salinger said summer so far had been wonderful.
"December's maximum temperatures were one to three degrees celsius above average, depending on the location within the greater Auckland region."
The above average temperatures had continued into January and were two to four degrees above what was usually recorded, she said.
Overnight minimums were 1C above average.
"Rainfall this summer has been mainly absent. In December, there were two episodes of rainfall - one around December 5 and 6 and again on December 19."
Rain fell on other days, including on Christmas Day, but the month was still exceptional.
"It's really started off well ... December is usually disappointing."
Most parts of Auckland have only had 5mm of rain so far this month, meaning gardens will be in moisture deficit already.
Ms Salinger said that by contrast, the previous December recorded mainly below average temperatures and the first week of January 2007 was cool.
The national average temperature is half a degree to a degree hotter than normal, with Timaru having reached a scorching 35C over the weekend.
