It's back to work - and out comes the sun as NZ enjoys 30C summer temps

Much of New Zealand is in for a summery week with temperatures soaring to 30C but won't be experiencing the searing heatwave scorching Australia.

Sunny skies have replaced the tempest that blew through the country at the end of last week.

With the blue skies temperatures are expected to soar as high as 30C in Blenheim and Alexandra and 29C in Christchurch, Hastings and Gisborne tomorrow.

This animation shows the general pattern expected over the next 10 days:

In the first frame you see our recent strong storm (dark blue) beginning to move away to the east.

Thereafter, it's a mix of high pressure (red) bringing dry weather and fronts (blue) bringing showers. pic.twitter.com/44uyqPOEAl

— NIWA Weather (@NiwaWeather) January 6, 2018

MetService forecaster April Clark said a garden variety weak front was now moving up the West Coast that would stall mid-week bringing days of rain to the region. It would then move over the country in coming days mainly affecting western regions.

The lower half of the North Island from Waitomo south would be affected by showers but the rest of the island escaped any wet weather until closer to the weekend.

"It's only really from Taranaki south that will get any wet weather. Until Thursday it's not looking too bad for the North Island," said Clark.

Auckland, which was hosting the ASB Classic, could look forward to a mainly dry week with showers not threatening the city until Friday afternoon.

At the same time eastern regions would swelter in temperatures hovering around 30C. Masterton is due to hit 29C today.

Clark said the same record-setting summer temperatures scorching eastern Australia were unlikely to be felt in New Zealand with the heatwave generated and peculiar to the continent's own topography and climate conditions.

"At the moment just because they are getting a heat wave we won't necessarily get it," she said.

Today's temperatures:
Auckland:Long fine spells. 24C
Tauranga:Morning cloud, then fine. 27C
Hamilton:Long fine spells. 25C
Wellington:Mostly sunny. Cloud increasing at night. 23C
Christchurch:Fine. 24C
Dunedin:Light showers in morning then fine.19C