Updated 10:37am — It’s mid-morning and already eastern parts of both islands are reaching the low to mid 20s thanks to a sub-tropical northerly flow streaming across New Zealand.

Around Christchurch the temperature has already passed the 20 degree mark in some suburbs.

But it’s Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne feeling the real warmth with temperatures already pushing into the mid 20s by 10:30am.

Tax funded Government forecaster MetService also says the warm nor’wester pushed Napier city up from 8 degrees to 19 degrees in just a couple of hours.

WeatherWatch.co.nz has been saying all week that highs into the mid-20s were possible today, particularly in Canterbury, Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne. Many other regions are likely to make it into the late teens or around 20 degrees today.

Make the most of it – a cold southerly spreads up the nation on Sunday and Monday.

Christchurch has a high of only 11 degrees on Monday and Gisborne’s high drops down to 15 degrees with the southerly.

10:37am Weather Observations: (click for LIVE nationwide version)

– WeatherWatch.co.nz