Halloween turns on scorcher in South Island
High expected to hover near country for a day or so more
Trick-or-treaters in the South Island sweltered in a heatwave yesterday as temperatures hit the mid 20s for Halloween. It was a scorcher for most of the south due to a mini heatwave that has set in over much of the island and is expected to last until tomorrow.
Alexandra sizzled at 26C and Invercargill recorded one of its hottest October days in living memory at 25.1C — beaten only by Monday, when the city sweated at 25.4C.
That’s just shy of the October record of 25.6C in Invercargill in 1942.
Northerners had a slightly cooler but still stunning day. Whangarei, Hamilton, Auckland and Tauranga were all sitting around 20C about noon, as was the Wellington region.
More of the same is expected today and tomorrow, with just a light sprinkling of rain possible in the morning for Auckland, the Coromandel and the Bay of Plenty.
Light cloud and gentle breezes will also take the edge off the heat for most of the North Island.
MetService meteorologist Sarah Haddon said the scorching was caused by a high sitting to the east.
She said it was unusual for a high to stick around for several days and cause such a prolonged rise in heat.
“A heatwave is when we expect temperatures 5 or more degrees above the usual, for five days in a row,” she said.
The heatwave wasn’t gracing the whole of the country but most regions were experiencing warmer weather, Haddon said.
Despite the warmth, Invercargill residents have been urgently asked to save water for the next two days after an explosion at a pumping station severely injured a worker.
Council water manager Alister Murray said he was very conscious people would normally use more water than normal due to the heat but asked resident to make “strenuous efforts” to conserve water.
MetService said a rise in temperatures when paired with cooler sea temperatures will also likely create sea fog in southern areas like Otago.
Weather Watch says a low in the Tasman Sea will slowly approach towards the end of the week, bringing more rain and a drop in temperatures.
Heavy rain will mostly affect the West Coast of the South Island.