Beach-goers in Wellington cool off as the the lower North Island faces high temperatures. Photo: Soumya Bhamidipati / RNZ
It's the South Island's turn for a summer scorcher.
Heat alerts were issued for Wellington City and the Hutt Valley on Wednesday, sending people flocking to the beaches.
But people are being asked to take care of those who could struggle in the heat. After a soggy Christmas and New Year, temperatures have soared this week, just as many people head back to work.
Metservice forecaster Gerard Bellam said some of this week's warmest temperatures are set to be recorded on Thursday, with the South Island in the sun's firing line, climbing into the low 30s there in the likes of Canterbury and Marlborough, and even high 20s probably for eastern parts of Otago, including Dunedin.
Wellingtonians took advantage of Wednesday's rising temperatures.
"Nice and warm - probably the first hot day we've had this year, so it would be nice to have a few more of them and we feel as though we've had a summer," one person said.
"I'm working today and there's no wind, so that's stress, said another. When there's no wind, it's just too hot in there. But it's pretty nice, I don't know. So nice for swimming on a day like this."
"It's good, added a third. "It's very, very, very hot."
And there were similar scenes at Auckland's Mission Bay.
"It's lovely," an Australian tourist said. "We just finished a week trip over here, and yeah, it's super nice to finish the trip in some sun on the beach."
"I was just saying to my husband, it's so nice to come down here," a woman said. "Made our own lunch sitting down here and it's just lovely and that breeze, really, really nice.
"We live in Bangkok, which is quite polluted - amazing city, but quite polluted - so for us, this is a dream."
Sun and swimmers out in Mission Bay, Auckland on 10 January 2024. Photo: RNZ / Jordan Dunn
Bellam said the warm temperatures were likely to continue for a few more days.
"We have got this hot spell lasting. It's sort of a bit of a peak in the temperatures today, but also on the weekend as well I think we're going to see a boost, including those North Island places, especially out east."
He said it could also be hard to sleep in many parts of the country.
"The other thing to take note is staying quite warm at night, very warm. In fact, temperatures staying up into the high teens in places. So yeah, just try and keep cool overnight as well."
But while many people are enjoying the balmy weather, Age Concern chief executive Karen Billings Jensen said the heat could be hard on elderly people.
"It can really exacerbate some health problems that are just made worse by heat-related things. So for older people, it's just really important that they find ways to keep cool."
She said keeping hydrated was key.
"Maybe just sipping water slowly through the day or having just some cool treats that are low in sugar but have got that high water content."
MetService said the same advice applied to all age groups, and urged sun lovers to stay sun smart when they ventured out.
Lake Tekapo. Photo: Andrew McRae
Year-round sun
The South Island's Lake Tekapo, located in the Mackenzie Basin, has been named the sunniest place in Aotearoa for 2023.
It racked up 2658 hours, or 110 days of sunshine throughout the year to take out the hotly contested crown.
The result comes as part of the NIWA's annual climate summary, which also found New Zealand experienced its second-hottest year on record.
Angela Oosthuizen, chief executive of Mackenzie District Council, said the region was "lucky" - talking up the weather's impact on the local economy.
"We're in a fantastic part of the world and it certainly has been great for tourism, you know, with all the recreational and outdoor activities in Tekapo.
She said the locale was "well-known for its sunshine hours".
"It just plays really well into the outdoor recreation that's available. We're really close to the Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park, and it just is great for tourism.
"It does bring some challenges as well though - obviously, with the dry and the windy conditions, there is the risk of wildfire and you know, the risk of fires, and so we do need to be cautious and be aware of the challenges and the risks associated with that."
Nelson was not far behind Lake Tekapo.
"I know Nelson and the Tasman are normally well up there as well," Oosthuizen said.
"Certainly it's great to actually, you know, all be benefiting from the sunshine hours and the tourism that goes with that and what it means for our economy - it's great to be in the recovery mode after Covid."
