Clear skies in the north were driving the temperature difference, with the North Island lacking a blanket of cloud to hold in the earth’s heat, O’Connor said.
With an area of high pressure sitting over the country some eastern areas of the South Island would be heating up today, with Ashburton likely to be New Zealand’s hottest spot at 25C.
Timaru and Christchurch could also get to 22C and Invercargill would be in the low 20s.
Auckland was likely to see temperatures of 16-18C today.
