New Year's Eve weather: Clear skies and a balmy night for revellers in Queenstown and Tauranga

Bream Bay, pictured looking towards Whangarei Heads. Photo / Michael Cunningham

A beautiful night is expected for New Year's Eve, with mild temperatures and clear skies.

Those in Auckland can expect a fine day with some morning cloud, light winds and sea breezes, MetService reports.

A high of 24C is expected by mid-afternoon before the mercury drops to 18C at midnight.

At some of the holiday spots near the Bay of Islands and Whangarei Heads, people can enjoy a slighter warmer day (25C) before evening cloud cools the night. READ MORE:
•Your New Year's weather: Hot and dry as temperatures above average for late December

MetService predicts another warm afternoon in Taupo, where temperatures will reach 25C by the early evening. Party goers in Tauranga and Mt Maunganui can expect a balmy night with 19C forecast when the clock strikes midnight.

Here's Angus with a quick whip around the weather expected for the New Years' countdown at midnight tomorrow night. Have a happy new year! ^AH pic.twitter.com/AWZeTbWoaB

— MetService (@MetService) December 30, 2019

In Napier temperatures will be a little cooler. A southwest wind and high of just 21C are forecast today by MetService.

Queenstown and Wanaka will welcome a warm evening as temperatures at 6pm in Queenstown are expected to be 26C and 20C by 10pm, MetService forecasts.

Conditions are expected to be hot and dry to tomorrowas a large ridge of high pressure off the west coast and a warm front approaches the South Island to start 2020.

MetService predicts temperatures will be well above average for almost every major centre around the country for this time of year.

Thanks to our friends at SNAPIT HD here's a time-lapse of the passage of the cold front over Milford Sound earlier today.

Overcast drizzly conditions soon cleared up, giving way to a mostly fine afternoon.

All your forecasts at https://t.co/Yjbq0jxdqz ^AB pic.twitter.com/MfYDIL6reM

— MetService (@MetService) December 30, 2019