Summer has arrived in Rotorua - with temperatures in the city this week soaring above last February's hottest day.
MetService communications meteorologist Lisa Murray said 27.2C was recorded at Rotorua Airport yesterday - the hottest day of 2017 so far.
The scorching Waitangi Day saw locals flock to the region's lakes and beaches to cool off.
Ms Murray said 26C was the highest Rotorua got to last February.
However, it has not broken the highest temperature for the month - 29.5C in 1998.
Ms Murray said the temperature would cool down quite a bit through to the weekend, with a cold front moving through tonight.
Tomorrow is forecast to cool down to 21C then 19C on Thursday.
Overnight temperatures were also going to drop, with one night a relatively chilly 9C, so people would notice the difference, Ms Murray said.
Tomorrow Rotorua would probably get a bit of rain because the winds were turning southeasterly, she said.
"Not enough that people can celebrate for their gardens, but at least a bit of a sprinkle."
Ms Murray said the long-term average for February in Rotorua, taken over 10 years, was 17.7C and so far this month it had been 19C.
January in Rotorua was a bit cooler than normal at an average of 16.7C compared with the long-term average of 17.3C.