It’s a tale of two islands today as a large low creates a striking difference in temperatures in the north and south.

It’s currently just 12 degrees in Christchurch where earlier a significant band of rain moved over the region – a welcome sight for farmers potentially facing drought.  In Invercargill it’s just 11 degrees while Timaru and Oamaru both have 13.  Dunedin has 14 degrees.

In the North Island conditions are much warmer.  It’s 25 in Napier, 24 in Hastings and 23 in Gisborne.   22 degrees has been recorded across the Waikato and in Whangarei while Auckland has 21.

The colder weather in the South Island is due to a large area of low pressure that’s moving towards the West Coast.

Tomorrow hot nor’westers should lift temperatures closer to 30 in Hawkes Bay and Gisborne ahead of a cold front that will move up the island during the afternoon and overnight.

No significant rain is expected for parched farms in the North Island’s east coast but a low next week may bring in some rain for Gisborne.