Summer is coming early this week in the south and Niwa said it could be the start of a warm, dry spell leading up to the holiday season.
Central Otago is set to approach 30C and Lincoln near Christchurch is on track to record its driest month in nearly 140 years.
The La Nina-driven sunshine - parked over the lower North Island and South Island for the rest of November - threatens to parch vast tracts as soil moisture evaporates.
Niwa principal scientist Chris Brandolino said the rest of November and the start of December would be generally hot, with less rain than we'd usually get over the period.
While the dry weather sounded great for hitting the beach, he said, some might not be thrilled.