Temperatures are certainly varied today with warm and muggy conditions over northern and central parts but cooler and drier skies in southern areas.

Unstable air is over the upper North Island this afternoon and sultry conditions are making it feel hotter than what the actual temperature readings are.

Rain topped up the tanks yesterday over numerous northern districts with some good totals between 30-60mm recorded and some isolated weather stations recording more than 100mm.
A few heavy showers have been lurking also in the region today and may top up those totals even further.

Over the South Island, temperatures have cooled off a little compared to yesterday with just a couple exceeding the 20 degree mark this afternoon which is in contrast to the weekend for quite a few southern districts.

Promised rain has failed to turn up over parts of Canterbury in the last day or 2 but there’s a chance this afternoon or evening of it becoming a little more widespread.

“The Santa Parade went off without a hitch yesterday when it appeared we could see a cool southerly and some rain late in the day” says weather analyst Richard Green. ” It didn’t turn up then and it was a very warm afternoon and although there’s a chance again this afternoon or tonight of some liquid sunshine moving in, I wouldn’t be holding my breath” he says.

Elsewhere over the south and Invercargill and Gore have seen a milder easterly pushing in today which is in contrast to their northern neighbours in the middle of the island.