Temperatures hit 29C in parts of New Zealand as summer weather conditions heat up

The mercury was just shy of 30C as parts of the country sizzled on the hottest day of summer so far.

Central Otago and Canterbury sweltered today as temperatures reached highs of 29C.

Dunedin Airport hit 29C at 1pm while Gisborne reached 28.6C around 3pm.

On the east coast of the South Island, the mercury surged to the high 20s, with Christchurch reaching 27C around 4pm.

Temperatures have shot up in Christchurch in the last hour to 27°C.

Warmest spot so far this afternoon was Dunedin Airport which has reached 29°C. pic.twitter.com/kDQbOJ4990

— MetService (@MetService) December 15, 2023

Meanwhile in Auckland, 20C is the region’s highest temperature today.

MetService meteorologist John Law said it will be warm overnight in Auckland with a minimum temperature of 15C.

“It will be a decent spot over the next few days in Auckland with temperatures reaching 24 and 25C. It will stay dry and decent bouts of sunshine, and not nearly as windy as it has been over the past few days.”

Law said today was the hottest day of summer so far, but these high temperatures were not unusual for this time of year.

“It’s above average, but not record-breaking,” he said.

“[Historically] the warmest Ashburton got to was 35C in December, while Wanaka’s top five temperatures were all above 30C, with the hottest 32.4C in December 1992.”

Law pointed to the warm air coming in from the north and west as the reason for the high temperatures.

“But the Foehn effect is also playing a part.”

“The winds coming in from the north and the west bring a lot of moisture with them,” he said.

“That moisture falls down on the western side of the South Island, so we have the heavy rain warnings in place for the regions.

“But as that air loses its moisture, it rises up over the hill and descends a lot drier and warmer.”

However, it’s not all dry weather, with a heavy rain warning in place for Buller until 3pm Sunday.

Expect 120mm to 150mm of rain during this period, especially about the ranges. Peak intensities of 15mm/h to 25mm/h and possible thunderstorms are likely during Sunday.

A heavy rain watch remains in place for Westland until 10pm tonight. They are also in place for Tasman west of Takaka until 5pm on Sunday and the Tararua Range until early Sunday morning.

This week will be a warm one, especially down the eastern side of the country.

“By the time we head down towards Sunday, there are forecasts of 29C and 30C in parts of Canterbury,” Law said.

“Even on Tuesday, we’re looking at temperatures around 30C-31C in places like Alexandra.”