The warm weather being experienced across much of New Zealand is set to continue for the next couple of days.
Photo: 123rf
Places along the east coast of both islands have been seeing temperatures in the high 20s, with Christchurch airport measuring 30C at 1pm this afternoon.
The east coast has been slightly cooler, with lower sea temperatures keeping the weather in the high teens - low 20s.
MetService said was due to a large high in the Tasman Sea dragging over warm air from Australia.
A view from outer space shows nearly maximum solar insolation (aka sunshine) across the country. This coupled with hot air from Aussie are fuelling the heat.
— NIWA Weather (@NiwaWeather) November 3, 2019
As of 1 pm, Christchurch (Kyle Street) and Cheviot are vying for the top temperature at 31.9 and 31.8, respectively. pic.twitter.com/oSP2v5Dui0
MetService meteorologist Andy Best said, with a month to go until summer, it had been an unseasonably warm weekend.
"We're still in spring and so it is still relatively unseasonable for this part of spring. Of course we've got another month to go until we get into December and the beginning of meteorological summer. This pulse of warm air is relatively unusual and it's really due to that really slow-moving high pressure area."
Meanwhile, the warm weather is good news for ice cream shops, which have been doing a roaring trade.
Chelsea Ross from Rollickin Gelato in Christchurch said staff were rushed off their feet.
"Business is extremely busy, we've got lines out the door. It's been like this pretty much since we opened and it will be like this all day."
MetService said it would be another warm and mostly fine day for most parts of the country tomorrow.
