Otago has experienced its second-warmest year since records began, climate scientist Jim Salinger says.
The increase in the average annual mean temperatures did not match the region's warmest year - 1999 - but warmer temperatures are expected to continue into 2014.
This followed the national trend. New Zealand experienced its second-warmest year on record, 0.84degC above the 1961 to 1990 average and just below the 1998 mean.
Record annual mean temperatures were recorded in the southeast of the South Island, including at Invercargill, 1.03degC above average, and Tara Hills, in North Otago, 1.46degC above average, figures from national climate stations showed, Dr Salinger said.
The Queenstown temperature was 1.36degC above average, the same as in 1999.
Dunedin recorded its second-warmest year at 0.73degC above average, below the 1999 highest average increase of 0.97degC.
Lauder, north of Alexandra, also recorded its second-warmest year at 0.79degC above average. Its warmest year was 2005.
The warm weather in the South was the result of more easterly weather than northeasterly, Dr Salinger said.
Sea surface temperatures were 1degC above average, especially around the South Island and to the east, contributing to the weather pattern.
The weather was similar in 1999. Although it was a La Nina year, it also contributed more easterlies, favouring the South, he said.
Last year, the El Nino Southern Oscillation was neutral and that was expected to continue into 2014, again tilting weather patterns towards an easterly, rather than northeasterly, trend.
''These conditions are presaged to bring temperatures of plus 0.2degC to plus 0.6degC above average for the New Zealand region.''
However, in the short term, MetService was predicting more spells of rain, heavy and thundery in some places today and tomorrow as another active weather system spreads across the country this week.
Meteorologist Daniel Corbett said the frequent progression of low pressure systems experienced over the past few weeks was very reminiscent of spring.
''A change to a southwest flow by the end of the week will also make it feel cooler than we have been accustomed to recently.''
It would feel cold for this time of year and temperatures would struggle to get out of the low to mid-teens in some parts of the country.
Some drier and more settled weather was expected to ease across the country by the weekend, but another bout of active weather will be lurking close by to the southwest of the country, ready to make its effects felt the following week, he said.
