It’s a warm afternoon for northern New Zealand as a front departs but the humidity remains.

Sunny spells are increasing which has helped boost temperatures into the mid 20s.  In Tauranga it’s currently 25 degrees with 24 in Whitianga and 21 in Auckland.  Hamilton has 19 and Paeroa 22.

But the real heat is in the North Island’s east coast where temperatures are now around the 30 degree mark.  It’s currently 28 in Gisborne and 29 in Napier and Hastings.  WeatherWatch.co.nz predicts further inland it’s likely to be 30 degrees and above.

In Wellington a northerly has returned after a brief southerly yesterday.  It’s currently 18 degrees in the capital and 21 in Lower Hutt.

An easterly flow remains in Christchurch keeping temperatures down.  The nor’easter has kept temperatures in the low teens around Canterbury with 14 in Christchurch.  It’s just 11 in Timaru and further south Dunedin has 13.

Invercargill still has a strong westerly flow.

But the week ahead will be a warmer, wetter one.  A nor’west flow will remain over the country for most of the week bringing high humidity, low cloud, drizzle and rain to northern and western regions.   Temperatures may again be high along the North Island’s east coast while cloud and drizzle should affect the eastern parts of the South Island later in the week.