The headline says it, and it’s a comment we’ve received a few times this winter as we talk about “warm air”.

The push back is fair enough too – even in our news room we’ve had the heater on during days that we’ve talked about how warm it is.

However there are five words that are usually implied (but perhaps need to be said) each time we talk about this “warm” winter weather: “for this time of year”.

This afternoon across the North Island it’s hardly a warm day – but it’s certainly warm for early August, in fact quite warm in some places.

We’re at the very depths of winter and yet as of 1:30pm it was reaching 20 degrees in parts of Whangarei and late teens across Northland.

Auckland is up to 17 and 18 degrees with Waikato up to 17.

Parts of Napier are also at 20 degrees with Hawkes Bay into the late teens.

All of these temperatures are well above average, several degrees above average for Napier.

So when we say it’s “Warm” in winter – just remember it’s “warm for this time of year”.

And don’t forget to let us know if it’s freezing where you are – you definitely don’t have to agree with “warm” if you’re feeling cold! New Zealand has so many nooks and crannies that most main centres see a range of temperatures at any given moment – so while it may be late teens in the centre where you are, it might a few degrees cooler where you are specifically located, especially if you have a biting cold wind too.

Temperatures, like showers, aren’t evenly spread across New Zealand – and with a sub-tropical flow giving way to an Antarctic one you know the big range of temperatures will only continue.

WeatherWatch.co.nz says New Zealand looks set to going from a feels like temperature of around +20 degrees today in Hawkes Bay to around -20 in exposed parts of the Southern Alps this weekend as the polar blast kicks in and flushes away any remaining ‘warm’ air.

Image / 1:30pm temperature map, areas in gold/orange are average to warmer than average for early August / Wunderground

– WeatherWatch.co.nz