New Year's Day weather: A warm, dry start to 2022

A rising New Year sun will greet Kiwis tomorrow, ringing in a hot start to 2022.

With Auckland and swatches of the upper North Island moving to the orange setting of the Covid-19 framework at midnight last night, allowing for large crowds to gather in time for New Year's Eve celebrations, the weather outlook for most of New Zealand looks fit for outdoor parties.

Revellers gearing up for festivals, gigs, beach parties and BBQs tonight can generally expect a warm, bright one, MetService forecasters say.

The only places that might require a light jacket will be around Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, inland Wairarapa, and western and southern parts of the South Island, particularly around lower Westland, Fiordland, and coastal Southland.

It's going to be a warm start to 2022. Photo / File

But Rhythm and Alps ravers in Central Otago's Cardrona Valley should escape with just a passing shower and have a sweaty night as Fat Freddy's Drop take the main stage, stepping in as last-minute replacements for Covid-affected acts.

"Most places should be quite dry tonight so thankfully for anybody who is expecting to celebrate New Year's Eve outdoors, things shouldn't be hampered too much," said MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane.

We can't really complain about the weather for the last day of 2021 🎆

💥 Dry and settled weather for most to end the year and start the new one!💥 pic.twitter.com/Xq2FgDDoXA

— NIWA Weather (@NiwaWeather) December 30, 2021

Tomorrow, a ridge of high pressure moves across the country, ringing in the new year with fine weather and high temperatures.

It means that most of New Zealand will have a sunny start to 2022.

At the start of the summer, Niwa said Aucklanders and others in northern regions may be in for an uncomfortably sticky holiday season.

Its seasonal climate outlook for December to February picked temperatures to be above average across the entire country, with warm nights and "extended periods" of high humidity likely.

Source / Niwa

Holiday hotspots around Bay of Plenty are really heating up and Kiwis are being urged to drink plenty of water and stay out of the sun where possible, with the temperatures touching 30C.

Gisborne and Mt Hikurangi are recognised as the first points on the New Zealand mainland to greet the morning sun and will bring in the New Year before anyone else in New Zealand – and most of the world.

New Year's Day weather – city highs

Auckland - 25C

Tauranga – 30C

Rotorua - 28C

Gisborne - 24C

Wellington - 23C

Christchurch - 25C

Wanaka - 28C

Dunedin – 20C