It’s been very hot in Canterbury today getting up to 33 degrees in Christchurch just on midday. WeatherWatch.co.nz reader Nigel Archibald reported 34.9 degrees at 10.30am in Culverden which is certainly getting up there although he has reported it has cooled down a little since then.

Culverden and the Amuri area with it’s basin like environment can put on some really hot day’s in summer. Puts on a cracker frost in winter too.

The east coast of the South Island isn’t the only place getting sweltering. The east coast of the North Island has hot temperatures, Hastings is sitting on 29 degrees. All of Hawkes Bay in fact is sitting in the high 20’s, no doubt a few pockets have low 30’s temperatures there today also.

But then we turn out attention out west in the North Island. She’s looking a bit cloudy with patchy rain about, not cold though and with humidity on the up it will feel 2 or 3 degrees warmer then what temperature gauges may be saying.

The West Coast of the South Island has cloudy skies and rain north of Hokitika, it’s a little patchy in the middle then when getting into Fiordland the intensity picks up again where there will be heavy falls.

Some relief is on the way for Canterbury in the form of a cooling southerly change due overnight. It is currently in Southland where temperatures are sitting on 14 to 15 degrees with rain or showers about the district.

The upper half of the South Island will start to get a cool down during Tuesday and then the North Island sees this on Wednesday where humidity will drop during the day.

This humidity drop may only be short lived however and bounces back over the North Island during Thursday.

WeatherWatch.co.nz