Otago and Southland will get a break from the heat from today, with much cooler temperatures expected.
On Wednesday, Dunedin was the hottest place to be in the country. MetService's Dunedin Airport temperature gauge showed 30.4°C just before 2pm.
Before then, the hottest November days recorded in the southern city were in 2009 and 2008 when the temperature reached 31°C and 31.1°C, respectively.
But a southerly change will mean a reprieve from warm nights earlier this week into the weekend, though it will continue to be very windy in places.
Dunedin would reach just 19°C today and 21°C at the weekend, while a high of 17 °C was forecast for Invercargill today and 18°C and 16°C on Saturday and Sunday.
Heat alert for Napier, Christchurch close
It was a sweltering day across much of the country again yesterday, with temperatures at 30°C at Christchurch Airport for a second consecutive day, while 33.0°C in Hastings was the day's hottest spot.
MetService said Auckland had its highest November temperate on record of 27.1°C at its Auckland Airport station.
Much of the country will continue to experience warm temperatures over the coming days, but thankfully, a reprieve from the warm nights is on its way, the forecaster said.
Head of weather Heather Keats says "we've got summer knocking on our door".
She told RNZ's Morning Report today a heat alert was in place for Napier, which has seen temperatures in the high 20s to early 30s, but are also experiencing warm nights.
"When we issue heat alerts from this time on, for not just warm days, but when it's really warm over night and you don't get much of a reprieve." Keats said.
"... Prolonged heat, especially with the humidity, it makes sleeping very difficult. We know how important it is for temperatures to be at a low level for sleep to be healthy.
"So it's an indication for people who are vulnerable to heat exposure and heat-stroke, to keep them hydrated [and] a good indication to check on elderly... [and] pets."
Keats said Hastings and Christchurch were close to heat alerts and the country was also experiencing big swings in weather.
For example, Christchurch was 15°C on Monday but had rocketed to 30°C two days later.
"November has been warm. We've seen some very high temperatures, especially out in the eastern side of the country. We've had these increased northerly flows, we've got humid air masses coming down from the tropics.
"But, we've also got warmer then normal sea-surface temperatures to the north and west. We are looking already at like 21 degrees in the Firth of Thames - that's around what we'd expect in summer - so that fuels the temperatures as well."
It will continue to be warm for the next few days, she said.
Monday is officially the first day of summer - and what that will bring is "anyone's guess at the moment".
Australia's Bureau of Meteorology has declared a La Niña event is officially under way in the Pacific for the first time since 2023.
Keats said in New Zealand there would be more difficult La Niña conditions as we move into December, including warm sea surface temperatures.
La Niña, for New Zealand, typically sees more north-easterly winds, moist and rainy conditions for eastern North Island, and reduced rainfall for the lower and western South Island.
- additional reporting by Allied Media
