Santa kickin’ it by the seaside as cooler weather rolls in

The hot weather seems endless, with Kiwis around the country flocking to the beach this weekend. Even karate classes were held at the water’s edge as Santa and his students attempted to cool off.

But there’s no guarantee the warm spell will continue, forecasters say. The next week is set for a “seesaw” of hot and cooler weather as fronts nibble away at the high pressure ridge that’s sitting over the country.

A front is expected to cool some cities down today by as much as 10C, while thunderstorms could pelt parts of the North Island, bringing hail and dangerous driving conditions.

A front from the South Island is set to reach the north today, briefly bringing rain, according to the MetService. But the system will move fast — reaching Northland by the evening — and rain is unlikely to bring any drought relief, except in localised areas affected by thunderstorms.

Thunderstorms are possible this morning in Nelson, Buller, Taranaki and Whanganui, while Kapiti, Horowhenua, Manawatu, Taihape, Taupo, Taumarunui and Waitomo could hear thunder before lunchtime. In the afternoon western areas from Taumarunui to Auckland are at moderate risk of thunderstorms, while the early evening could see thunder from Taupo across to Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay. There is a low risk some storms could become severe, the MetService said.

Afternoon showers are expected in Auckland, with a high of 25C.

Later this week more fronts will bring rainfall to the southwest and cause temperatures to “yoyo”, the MetService said. Christchurch was forecast to bounce from 19C today to 26C tomorrow.

“As fronts make inroads on to New Zealand we can expect more variable weather conditions”, meteorologist Tom Adams said.

“With the holidays approaching and people starting to make outdoor plans, it is worth remembering that the weather does change, and it always pays to keep an eye on the latest forecasts. Don’t take fine weather for granted.”