Scorcher for Christmas Day unlikely

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Suddenly it’s summer! Three days in a row with official temperatures in the high 20s, and the first tar-melting of the season.

But looking at all the computer models in the run-up to Christmas, a scorcher for the big day might be off the barbecue menu.

The next few days will be fine, but then a mixed bag of weather starts to arrive from across the Tasman, bringing that awful term — “variable weather”.

MetService’s seven-day forecast expects south-easterlies with a few showers on Saturday, switching to northerlies with a few showers on Christmas Eve.

That means it will be bringing warm, humid air down from the sub-tropics.

Meanwhile, computer models show a swirl of weather coming across the Tasman and from the south to join the mix, and Christmas Day just might escape the showers which return over the following days.

At least it won’t be cold, with temperatures forecast in the mid-20s.

Last Friday was our hottest day so far this summer, with a high of 28.7 degrees.

Saturday followed up with 27.8 degrees and Sunday reached 26.7.

Away from the sea breeze, inland areas such as Makaraka topped 30 degrees, and melting tar was evident on high-traffic bends and corners.