The headlines about ‘subtropical northerlies’ and ‘warmer than usual weather’ seems to be a regular edition to our news line up across 2016 as temperature records continue to be challenged and broken. Today is another warm one – with several regions well above average for mid-August, traditionally the end of the coldest time of the year.

As of the lunch hour it was 17 degrees in Christchurch – about 5 degrees above average and other parts of Canterbury are now several degrees above average in the low 20s.

Dunedin has a mild 16 degrees.

In the North Island it’s 19 degrees in Wairoa, northern Hawke’s Bay and 20 degrees is possible.

Even Central Otago is in the mid teens – a couple of weeks ago the area was struggling to get above zero degrees at the warmest time of the day.

The southerly quarter flow has temperatures about average in the upper North Island with many centres hovering around the mid-teens.

– Some of the main centres as of 12:45pm – please note some smaller centres are a few degrees warmer / Wunderground