Southern spring sizzle before wet weekend

There’s a chance the temperature is going to hit 30 degrees Celsius later this week in parts of the country.

Temperatures up to 15C warmer than average may be experienced in inland Otago, Southland and Canterbury tomorrow. On Friday, the warmth is expected to extend to northern Canterbury, Tasman and Marlborough.

The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa) have dubbed it the #southernspringsizzle.

Niwa forecaster Ben Noll said the potential near-record temperatures would be caused by a warm air flow extending from Australia. A large area of high pressure to the northwest of New Zealand would help steer the warm air across the Tasman Sea.

‘‘There is a chance that the country will observe its first 30 degree temperature of the spring, which would be the first 30 degree temperature since April,’’ Noll said.

For the North Island, the forecast isn’t so good. Seasonably cool weather is expected tomorrow before warming up a bit over the lower part of the island on Friday.

As for Labour Weekend, pack your wet weather gear.

Niwa was expecting a front to move up the country on Saturday bringing cloud and showers.

On Monday, the chance for rain was greatest on the South Island’s West Coast, while showers could possibly persist over the west and northern North Island.

Cell incident inquiry

A man who was found in the Tauranga District Court cells in a ‘‘serious condition’’ last Wednesday has since died. The 32-year-old man had been alone in the cell, police said. He received medical treatment before being taken to hospital. Police told SunLive they were liaising with the man’s family. ‘‘We extend our sympathies to them during this difficult time,’’ Western Bay of Plenty area commander Inspector Clifford Paxton said. ‘‘Police are currently investigating, and the matter has been referred to the coroner.’’

Jailed for killing neighbour

Seacliff man Stephen Findlay has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 11 years’ jail for the murder of his neighbour Sharon Comerford, 54. He appeared before Justice Rachel Dunningham in the High Court at Dunedin yesterday morning. Findlay, 60, suffered horrific facial injuries, including head injuries and the loss of his left eye, after turning a gun on himself in Truby King Reserve in the coastal Otago town of Seacliff. He was found by a member of the public on the morning of March 8, 2016, after bludgeoning Comerford to death at her home the night before.

Medical alarm to cost $32k

A Manawatu¯ man who has suffered heart attacks for 37 years will have to pay $32,500 to get a landline connection to his house for a medical alarm. Bill Tooley, 67, bought his Sanson home in February, but is unable to connect a St John medical alarm because Chorus needs to extend its network. Tooley’s home was relocated in 2016, but a ‘‘lack of capacity’’ on Chorus’ network would require work to have it extended. Despite his neighbours having internet and landline, a letter from Chorus stated it wouldn’t fund the work involved. That work would cost $32,578 and Tooley would have to pay. Tooley had his first heart attack when he was 30 and regularly suffered ‘‘mild’’ attacks. Doctors advised him to connect to a landline after his first operation a few years ago.

Beneficiary loses fight

A letter from the bailiff has Auckland beneficiary Niki Rauti fearing her year-long battle to remain in social housing has come to an end. The 62-year-old has lived in the Glen Innes house for 32 years. Last month the High Court ruled in favour of the house’s owner, the Tamaki Regeneration Company (TRC), to evict Rauti in order to redevelop the land it sits on. Rauti said she received a letter from the bailiff last Friday, telling her to ‘‘have everything cleared out’’ by today. TRC is jointly owned by the Government and the Auckland Council. The company issued Rauti a 90-day eviction notice in October 2016, which she appealed through the Tenancy Tribunal. The tribunal ruled that TRC did have the legal right to evict Rauti, a judgment later backed up by rulings in the Auckland District Court and the High Court.