Forget all the hot air building in the Maori Party at the moment because it’s hot air coming from Australia that will contribute to a sweltering Waitangi Day this year.

WeatherWatch.co.nz predicts that today may be the hottest day of summer so far for the country and is likely to be one of the hottest, if not the hottest, day of 2011.

While not everyone will have a scorcher, particularly Wellington and Kapiti, most other regions in New Zealand will be between 25 and 35 degrees today, with the majority around the 30 degree mark give or take a couple degrees.

In Waitangi itself temperatures will be in the low 30s, coupled with high humidity it may feel more like the late 30s predicts WeatherWatch.co.nz.

Auckland will also push to 30 degrees in some suburbs, although the ‘official’ temperature, which is taken at Auckland Airport out on a field, may well be a couple degrees lower.

Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Central Plateau and the rest of Northland will also hover around the late 20s and early 30s with high humidity making for uncomfortable conditions outdoors.

WeatherWatch.co.nz warns that with so many outdoor events for Waitangi Day the heat could cause illness for some.  “Stay in the shade, find a breeze if you can and drink lots of water” says head weather analyst Philip Duncan.

“This heat is partially coming from New South Wales which has endured a heat wave pushing into the 40s this week and while it won’t be quite so hot here we will have high humidity in the north and west as well”.

Eastern parts of New Zealand will also feel the heat with the highest air temperatures expected to be recorded in places like Gisborne, Hawkes Bay, Wairarapa, Marlborough, Canterbury and Otago.

Southland will also climb into the mid to late 20s.

A cooler southerly change will reach Southland later in the day with a dramatic drop in temperatures expected to move up the South Island’s east coast by evening.  Monday looks significantly cooler with highs only in the mid to late teens for the south and east of the South Island while much of the North Island remains hot and humid.

– WeatherWatch.co.nz
– Home page image / FIle, Zelda Wynn