Central Otago is back in the spotlight as temperatures topped 30 degrees in Alexandra today after a recent break of the mercury frequently being in the 30s.

Queenstown also had plenty of warmth with 27 degrees and although parts of the country are battling the easterly wind carrying considerable amounts of cloud, the deep south is sheltered from much of the easterly flow.

Manapouri also enjoyed the sunshine today with 27 degrees but the highest temperature in the North Island went to Wanganui with a very pleasant 25 degrees but the rest of the north had temperatures a little cool and ranging between 19 and 22 degrees.

Tonight should see most temperatures about average or slightly above depending on the cloud cover and also the strength of the winds but they are likely to vary between 14 and 18 degrees.

Midnight lows are likely to be warmest in Central Otago as the heat of the day slowly cools into the evening and night but before dawn tomorrow, the mercury should be about the coolest in the land under clear skies and the heat of today should have disappeared.It’s a bit of a rollercoaster ride as tomorrow the heat is set to return under the mostly blue skies.

Tomorrow is likely to be similar to today nationwide however more sunshine is likely in northern and central regions but a slight tilt in the wind could change the whole package.