After two weeks of winter the warmth has returned to the country even if the skies are a bit cloudy in some places.

Much of the upper North Island is around 16/17 degree mark with eastern regions climbing even higher.  As of 4pm Gisborne has 21 degrees with 18 in Hastings.

The lower North Island is a little cooler around the mid-teens and a strong northerly in Wellington, gusting to 80km/h, has the city on 14 this hour.

The warm northerlies have boosted Blenheim to 18 degrees this hour with other eastern regions down to Otago in the mid-teens.

Queenstown has 16 while Invercargill has 13.

Check out today’s Daily Highs here, issued before 4:45pm