Today appears as if most of the heat is in the North Island today, until a late southerly affects Wellington and the Wairarapa. Temperatures should climb into the 30s from Tauranga out east to Gisborne, Hawkes Bay and the Wairarapa.

The mainland sees a cool southerly slide up the East Coast dropping temperatures fairly quickly but at this stage there doesn’t appear to be too much moisture. There a risk of a thunderstorm or two in places as the front goes through. A gradual clearance out west later, is expected.

A look at some NZ centres…

WHANGAREI: Plenty of cloud and sou’ west winds. Warm to very warm. HIGHS 27-29

AUCKLAND: Possible drizzle but mainly cloudy. Mild to warm. HIGHS 24/25

HAMILTON: Often cloudy but dry and sou’ west winds. Warm to very warm. HIGHS 27/28

TAURANGA: Mostly sunny and hot again. Breezy sou’ west winds. HIGHS 28-31

NEW PLYMOUTH: Often cloudy with westerly winds. Average temps. HIGHS 21/22

NAPIER/HASTINGS: Sunny & hot again. Nor’ westers quite gusty at times. HIGHS 29-32

WELLINGTON: Dry at first but late cool southerly expected. HIGHS 22-24 before change.

NELSON: Sunny and very warm again with sou’ westers. HIGHS 26-28

GREYMOUTH/HOKITIKA:A little rain and dry spells with southwesterlies. HIGHS 18-20

CHRISTCHURCH: Dry & warm at first. Sou’ west change later with shower. HIGHS 24-28

DUNEDIN: Cool and blustery sou’ west winds with 1 or 2 showers. HIGHS 18-20

QUEENSTOWN:Skies clearing later with southerlies easing. Cool at first. HIGHS 20-23

INVERCARGILL: Windy sou’ west winds with showers drying up later. Cool. HIGHS 15-17