Kiwis not yet ready for winter's chill can relax - Niwa has forecasted a warm end to autumn.

A Niwa climate scientist says 56mm of rain has fallen so far this year, the lowest of any three-month period in Auckland.

Auckland is coming through a record dry patch - only 5mm of rain fell in February, the least since records began in 1959.

Summer temperatures are likely to remain on the cool side as autumn looms on the horizon.

Unsettled conditions could mark a turning point for our summer weather, forecasters say.

See-sawing temperatures characterised New Zealand's weather in 2009, according to Niwa's annual climate summary.

The Government is keeping close watch on the "big dry" in many regions and will consider drought assistance if conditions worsen, Agriculture Minister David Carter says.

The noughties were the warmest decade on record in New Zealand, although last year was cooler than average, latest Niwa figures show.

This Christmas is predicted to be the fairest of the decade, and hot, dry conditions are expected to last almost until the New Year.

Rare giant kokopu, which in their infancy make up part of the group known as whitebait, are to be reintroduced to Auckland waterways.

Evidence of rising temperatures in NZ is being used by Britain in an effort to lessen the fall-out from leaked scientific emails.