Auckland has reached 24 degrees this hour, the highest temperature recorded in the city for months, under sunny skies and light winds.

Parts of Northland and Coromandel Peninsula have also reached 24 this hour with 23 in the eastern Waikato town of Paeroa and 22 in Tauranga and Napier.

Hastings has 25 degrees while a string of 20s and 21s cover much of the North Island, including Wellington.

In the South Island a cool change that passed through overnight has seen temperatures drop significantly today. 

Christchurch and Dunedin have just 15 degrees this hour with 13 in Oamaru and Akaroa.

Westport has 18 and Invercargill and Queenstown 14.

There is still some heat in the South Island – the northern centres of Nelson and Blenheim currently have 23 and 22 respectively.

Image / David Shone