NORTHERN NZ SWEATS + Record dry conditions in Waikato.

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NORTHERN NZ SWEATS + Record dry conditions in Waikato.

31/01/2008 11:00am

> From the WeatherWatch archives

Temperatures across northern New Zealand have soared this afternoon thanks to clear skies and little wind. Hamilton is officially over 30 degrees with eastern Waikato towns such as Paeroa, in the lower 30s. Further north Aucklanders are sweltering in a sticky 27 degree heat. Temperatures have also risen into the late 20s in Rotorua and further south in Palmerston North.

Head Weather Analyst Philip Duncan says it won’t be helping farmers. “While it’s great for cutting hay it will be doing nothing for water levels. Similar hot weather is expected for the rest of the week”.

Meanwhile the Weather Watch Centre’s regional forecaster Brian Barclay says rainfall amounts are at record lows. “It’s Te Awamutu’s driest November, December and January since local records began in 1950. November normally has 108mm, last year 51, December normally has 111mm, last year 68 and January normally has 93mm and this month we’ve had just 7mm”.

In Te Aroha in the eastern Waikato just 5mm of rain has fallen since Christmas.

Global forecasting giant Weather.com is predicting no chance of showers in Hamilton for the remainder of the week, rising to 10% in the weekend, then back to zero again next week, however current predictions do show a 60% chance on Tuesday thanks to a weak front, however Philip Duncan says long range rain forecasts are not usually too accurate at this time of year because weather systems move so slowly.

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