When it’s warmer than average that doesn’t mean it feels warm, but it means the temperatures are higher than they should be. That’s what we have happening this week in many regions, average to warmer than average temperatures by day.

Temperatures have been above normal fairly consistently lately – but the lack of wind means overnight lows are lower than normal for some, especially those in the east with clearer skies.

The days are warming up too – we have sunnier spells appearing later in the week for those gloomy western areas (the gloom is helping keep the days a little cooler but the nights a little milder).  By this weekend we have a sub-tropical flow for many parts of New Zealand which pushes temperatures up even further as the huge area of high pressure finally starts to drift out to our east.

As this enormous high pressure belt very slowly drifts away, next week looks increasingly more unsettled – but no signs yet of a major southerly change to balance things out. Although the final day or two of May could see a large low pressure system move in from the Tasman with a colder southerly change behind it for a brief time, before the next enormous high – potentially arriving in very early June.

– WeatherWatch.co.nz