The heat and humidity is getting to a lot of people with a poll at WeatherWatch.co.nz over the weekend showing more than 50% who voted are finding it too hot or too humid. 

With a heatwave this week pushing temperatures into the late 30s for parts of the South Island it has many people asking us “When will it cool down? When will the humidity ease?”. We have good news for those people.

While Thursday is the day we expect rain and even higher humidity it will be followed by a much cooler, drier change.

In fact parts of the lower coastal South Island may only have highs in the low teens at the end of this week, a huge drop from the highs in the low to mid 30s expected in the next few days. Places like Alexandra and surrounds which will reach the mid to late 30s tomorrow will be down to a high of just 14 to 16 by Thursday and Friday.

This cooler change will even spread up to Auckland and the upper North Island although don’t expect a dramatic change – however a few degrees down with lower humidity will be very noticeable in the north too by Friday or the weekend.

The following week is still not locked in – we have high pressure likely to be moving in and keeping the drier, slightly cooler SW flow in charge – but if the high doesn’t move in fast enough we could be facing another low from the tropics.

– Let the cool down begin! Thursday afternoon shows the colder southerly moving up the South Island while the North Island is humid and wet with tropical air. Temperature map by Weathermap.co.nz

– WeatherWatch.co.nz