From winter snow to scorching sun - Aussie air sees temperatures soar to 26C

It's shaping up to be a foretaste of summer, with days of scorching temperatures as high as 26C in store for many parts of New Zealand starting tomorrow.

After a tumultuous week where we reached for our thick coats and turned heaters up as snow coated the deep south and strong, icy winds and squally showers lashed the country, eastern and northern regions of both islands will be bathed in sunshine for much of next week.

Parts of New Zealand will bask in summer temperatures after the South Island was coated in fresh snowfall. Photo / Logan Church

Both Christchurch and Napier will see the mercury rise to a balmy 24C on Sunday.

But the week will kick off on an even hotter note if you're in Kaikoura, where temperatures are tipped to reach 26C, or Gisborne, which will welcome a sizzling, sunny 25C as a pool of hot air from Australia cloaks the country.

Even Dunedin, this week under a thick layer of snow, will see gorgeous 23C day on Monday.

🐧 Antarctica to Australia 🏜️

Our air mass source will soon change from Antarctic to Australian 🎢

After temperatures as cold as -10 degrees tonight, 25+ degrees will be possible in some places from this weekend into early next week! pic.twitter.com/Io7e2VW1QS

— NIWA Weather (@NiwaWeather) September 29, 2020

Niwa Weather said the hot air mass would cause temperatures to hit 25C or higher from this weekend and into early next week as it dominated the skies above.

Many eastern and northern regions are set to enjoy a string of four days where day-time highs sit between 22 and 24C.

While Auckland is not expected to top 20C, the northern city is set to enjoy six straight days of tepid temperatures reaching highs of 19C and 18C.

MetService says spring westerlies would return to the south for the weekend spelling fine weather for eastern regions but wet weather for the west.

Aotearoa will be under the influence of strong northwesterly winds over much of the weekend and into Monday. Here are a number of forecast maximum temperatures. Pretty warm in the east and warming up over the upper North island. Go to https://t.co/Yjbq0jxdqz for temps near you^AB pic.twitter.com/NamSGqpepE

— MetService (@MetService) October 1, 2020

Although it wasn't predicted to get as stormy as last weekend, the forecaster was warning exposed places should prepare for gale gusts.

The strong, dry northwesterlies spelt fine weather for eastern regions, whereas western regions could expect wet weather with the passing of a front across the weekend.

Heavy rain warnings and watches stretched up the West Coast as a front passed across the island on Saturday and Sunday.

Southland, Fiordland, central Otago and parts of Canterbury were all under a strong wind watch.