Weather: 'Hotober'' makes way for cold

Josh Vou and Ella Apps in the water at Mount Main Beach yesterday as they enjoy the warmer weather. Photo: John Borren / Bay of Plenty Times

"Hotober" has made way for the cooler temperatures we usually feel at this time of year in a dramatic reversal which saw the mercury plunge by 20C in some places today.

Strong north westerlies yesterday brought summer-time temperatures unusually early, smashing records for this time of year.

Kaikoura reached 32.2C, Wairoa 31.3C and Timaru 29C.

The seaside town of Kaikoura smashed the previous October records of 27.8C.

"Usually it's broken by 0.1C or 0.2C. This was particularly significant," said MetService meteorologist Lisa Murray.

Feeling a bit colder today? Here's yesterday's 11am temps vs today's. Photo: MetService

Today though Kaikoura was down to 16C, Timaru's high was 14.2C but it has since dropped to 13.1C.

Wairoa fell the most. At 2pm yesterday it was 30.8C, today it was 10.8C.

The cool change has been brought by a southwesterly weather pattern.

It will stick around for a few days, although the weekend is expected to mostly be fine.

The wind won't be as strong as it has been either, Ms Murray said.

"We won't have any of these big northwesterlies."

Although by Monday the breezes will pick up in the South Island and will move north.

The east coast will see the best of the weekend weather.

In the west there will be some cloud and even some drizzle for the West Coast on Sunday.

Northland and Auckland may get a few showers.