Taieri bakes in record November high

Temperatures soared on the Taieri yesterday, with the temperature at Dunedin airport reaching a record November high of 30.5degC at 1pm.

The hot weather came as water restrictions hit the area; low pressure at the Wingatui reservoir caused three homes to run out of water; and residents were warned to be "ultra cautious" about the possibility of fire.

MetService forecaster Sarah Sparks said the Taieri's weather was a result of a northwesterly air flow.

"You're in a really warm pocket of air at the moment."

A northeasterly wind meant Dunedin's temperature only reached a high of 21degC.

Temperatures were also warmer than usual on Saturday, when the airport and the city both recorded 26degC.

The Dunedin City Council announced level two water restrictions from today in Mosgiel, Braeside, Kinmont Park and East Taieri.

The consented daily take for Mosgiel was 7600cu m, but current daily consumption was 8800cu m.

That translated to 880 litres per person per day in Mosgiel, compared with the rest of Dunedin, where usage was 505 litres per day.

Network manager Rezaul Haque said the increased use meant the water level at the Wingatui reservoir, which took water from the Mt Grand reservoir, had decreased, and the decreased pressure meant three houses were without water for a few hours on Sunday.

The council had put in place level two restrictions for the area, which meant hand-held hosing was only permitted between 8pm and 8am.

There were no restrictions for the rest of the city, and those could be avoided in future if people were restrained in their water use.

Dunedin City Council principal rural fire officer Graeme Still warned residents to be "ultra cautious" about fire, with forecast winds of 70kmh later this week expected