New Zealand summer could bring record-high temperatures and sleepless nights - The Front Page

New Zealand’s summer is shaping up to be hotter and drier than average. Photo / Alex Burton

New Zealand’s summer is shaping up to be hotter and drier than average.

After a rainy start to summer the national outlook is heating up, with temperatures expected to soar into the 30s in some parts in the coming week.

MetService is forecasting maximum temperatures of up to 8°C above average for this time of the year for Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay and the eastern South Island.

MetService meteorologist John Law told The Front Page if you’ve felt nights have become warmer this week, you aren’t wrong.

“We had some really cool nights coming through at the end of November. The wind swung around towards the south and brought with it that cold air up and across New Zealand. We’ve started off December back in northwesterly winds.

“Coming up over the next couple of nights, particularly across the eastern side of the country, we’re going to find those nighttime temperatures a real talking point. It’s going to be pretty tricky sleeping conditions, for people in Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne over the next few nights anyway,” he said.

As the weekend approaches, the warmer air gives way to showery southwesterly winds and a return to average temperatures for this time of year.

However, a building high-pressure system will bring blue skies to most of the country at the end of the week.

“Those northwesterly winds bring the warmth, but they also bring the moisture, particularly in those areas exposed to the west.

“So you can imagine that running down from north to south across the South Island is the Southern Alps, and that acts as a really good barrier, but it also forces the moisture up generating the cloud and the rainfall,” Law said.

Extended warmth is forecast around the country this week 🥵

Typically hot places will see temperatures climb into the high 20s, maybe low 30s.

Subtropical air streams across our shores bringing warmer than average night-time temperatures for most. pic.twitter.com/4O8MBWj9ZV

— MetService (@MetService) December 2, 2024

MetService’s Heat Alerts have also begun for the summer season.

Heat Alerts are issued by its forecasting team when temperatures are expected to be extreme, ie hotter than a typical hot summer day.

“It’s really a case that these are temperatures that for many of us shouldn’t cause a problem.

“But if you’re already vulnerable to those temperatures, the very old or the very young, or if you’re planning lots of outdoor activities, it’s really important to make sure you’re aware that these temperatures are happening, and that you can take precautions and be safe in the heat,” Law said.

Listen to the full episode to hear more about what mother nature has in store for the Kiwi summer.

The Front Page is a daily news podcast from the New Zealand Herald, available to listen to every weekday from 5am. The podcast is presented by Chelsea Daniels, an Auckland-based journalist with a background in world news and crime/justice reporting who joined NZME in 2016.

You can follow the podcast at iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.