Records fall as the heat rises

Record temperatures in January saw people flocking to Northland's beaches - such as Ruakaka (above) to get some relief. Photo / Tania Whyte

Northland broke a few records on the weather front during an extremely warm and very dry January.

Better-than-normal temperatures are set to stick around for a few more weeks, but there is also a real chance of some decent rain.

The climate summary for January released by Niwa shows Kaitaia and Kaikohe had record mean maximum air temperatures of 25.7C and 25.2C respectively for January while Cape Reinga recorded 23.2C and Kerikeri 25.2C.

The readings in Cape Reinga and Kerikeri were the fourth highest on record.

Kaitaia's 289 sunshine hours was the highest number since records there began in 1985. Dargaville's reading of 273 hours was the fourth highest.

MetService meteorologist Georgina Griffiths said Whangarei's mean temperature of 20.9C, or 1C above January average, was the second warmest January since records began in the district 1967. The highest were 21.3C, observed in January 1999 and again in January 1970.

In terms of rainfall, Kerikeri had its lowest January total at just 4mm since records started in 1981. Kaitaia recorded 15.2mm or the fourth driest January.

Only 17.8mm of rain fell in Whangarei, which was only 22 per cent of normal.

The city's driest January was in 1957, with a measly 0.8mm of rain.

January rainfall totals in Northland, Auckland, Taranaki, Manawatu-Wanganui, Kapiti Coast, Wellington, Marlborough, north Canterbury and Central Otago were less than 10 per cent of the January norm.

MetService yesterday released a weather outlook for the next four weeks and predicts a wetter-than-average February and near or above-average temperatures.

"The above normal February rainfall will be due to more lows sitting just north of Northland and the easterly winds, but the rest of the country will be hot and dry and will not get enough rain," Ms Griffiths said.

She said while it had been unusually humid since last week, that was about to change with a weak cold front passing throughout Northland driving humidity down.

"[Wednesday], Thursday and Friday will still be warm but the temperature will drop down sharply to around 23, 24C and Northland's getting some rain on Thursday which will be great for the farmers after a reasonably dry January."

She warned humidity would return next week.

Whangarei Airport recorded the third highest maximum temperature in the country on Monday at 30.2C.