It’s a warm afternoon across a number of main centres today as almost summer-like heat pushes temperatures up and over the 20 degree mark.

Auckland reached 20 degrees at 1pm along with Christchurch, Masterton, Paeroa and Timaru.  Dunedin, Hastings and Gisborne are the warmest centres with 21 degrees this hour.

Invercargill, Oamaru, Blenheim, Lower Hutt and Whangaparaoa all have 19.

In the North Island the heat is due to warm, humid, air being pulled down yesterday by a low north of New Zealand.  Today that low is moving further east allowing mainly clear skies to really lift temperatures this afternoon.

In the South Island it’s a classic northerly flow that’s helping lift temperatures.  WeatherWatch.co.nz predicts a mild night across most of New Zealand tonight with another warm day on the way for many tomorrow under similar conditions.