Beach and holiday goers around the Bay can expect an Indian summer, with a forecast of above-average temperatures and normal rainfall.
Niwa's Seasonal Climate Outlook predicts the balmy weather will continue for Northland, Auckland, Waikato and the Bay of Plenty until March.
Niwa National Climate Centre Environmental Scientist Darren King said temperatures were more than likely to be above average for the Bay of Plenty region.
"There is a 20 per cent chance that temperatures would be below average for the months January to March."
The monthly sea surface temperatures anomaly for New Zealand was also about + .9C in December for the whole country, he said.