Summery highs likely to linger

Summer is coming early this week in the south and Niwa said it could be the start of a warm, dry spell leading up to the holiday season.

Central Otago is set to approach 30C and Lincoln near Christchurch is on track to record its driest month in nearly 140 years.

The La Nina-driven sunshine — parked over the lower North Island and South Island for the rest of November — threatens to parch vast tracts as soil moisture evaporates.

Niwa principal scientist Chris Brandolino said the rest of November and the start of December would be generally hot, with less rain than we’d usually get over the period.

While the dry weather sounded great for hitting the beach, he said, some might not be thrilled.

Brandolino said the dryness would be most intense across inland areas in the South Island as well as parts of the North Island like Dargaville and the Eastern Waikato.

Apart from the east coast of the North Island, less than 20mm of rain was expected over the rest of the month. With an average 4mm daily moisture loss into the air, much of the country was expected to face a deficit of 20mm by the end of the month.

According to the Niwa seasonal outlook temperatures are expected to sit above average across all of New Zealand for the next two months.

While rainfall totals to the end of January are likely to be normal on both islands for this time of year, it’s likely to be drier than normal on the West Coast.

Weatherwatch.co.nz said highs around Waikato and King Country this week would climb into the mid 20s, and possibly upper 20s for a few pockets further inland.