Season of summer marches on as balmy weather sticks around

The season of summer continues as a ridge of high pressure hanging over the North Island drops anchor and persists in offering temperatures in the mid to high 20s.

But there is some good news, as temperatures look likely to drop sharply overnight, giving some reprieve to those basting in the balmy conditions, MetService meteorologist Rob Kerr said.

"Fine weather for most of the North Island, the cloud over Auckland is already breaking off.

"[Today] Auckland will reach into temperatures around 25C, with a bit of sea breeze to cool things off, and an overnight high of 15C."

The overnight temperature would be welcomed by Aucklanders, as last night the city sweltered in 85 per cent humidity just shy of 20C.

The humid conditions, like today and yesterday, would continue for the next few days across the country, with a chance of rain later in the week.

"South of the ridge there is a front moving in on Wednesday and Thursday bringing northwest winds over central New Zealand on the west coast of the South Island."

Even though wind and rain were predicted on the west coast, the temperature would still sit steady around 20C.

Yesterday, Kawerau recorded the day's hottest temperature at 32C, while Haast, Te Anau and Milford Sound only managed 18C.

The ridge of high-pressure has anchored itself just north of the country and is to thank for the great summer weather over the past few days.

Looking ahead, a ridge of pressure hanging over the country would move north on Wednesday as a front approached New Zealand from the southwest before moving north across the South Island on Thursday.

"This front is forecast to bring a period of rain to western districts of the South Island, and there is moderate confidence of rainfall accumulations reaching warning criteria in Fiordland and the ranges of Westland south of Otira on Wednesday, with confidence increasing to high during Thursday for northern Fiordland and Westland south of Otira."

There was also moderate confidence of heavy rainfall about the ranges of Westland, north of Otira and Buller on Thursday.

How to keep your house cool with a blow fan

As the country tries to settle into the full heat of summer, a house doctor says the best way to cool down is by using a blow fan a different way.

Dr Nelson Lebo, Eco Design Advisor for the Palmerston North City Council, says having a fan blowing hot air around a room is not an efficient way to cool down.

Conventional fans should be used as an exhaust, to extract the hot air out of the house, he said.

"Take your fan out of the room and get it in a door and window and pointing out," Dr Lebo said.

"In the late afternoon, when your house is really warm and the outdoor temp starts to drop, we want to pull the hot air out of your house and pull the cool air in.

"It's really handy to have an indoor/outdoor thermometer so you know exactly when the afternoon air is cooler than your indoor air - that's when you turn your fan on.

"The thing to remember is to treat your house like a wind tunnel at night, but like a chilly bin during the day by shutting your curtains and keeping the cool air in," Lebo said.

Your weather today

Whangārei: Fine apart from morning cloud. Light winds.

High 28C Low 16C

Auckland: Fine apart from morning cloud. Southwest breezes.

High 25C Low 15C

Tauranga: Fine. Southwest breezes.

High 28C Low 17C

Whanganui: Fine. Westerly breezes dying out afternoon.

High 24C Low 13C

Napier: Morning cloud and chance early shower, then fine. Northeast breezes.

High 26C Low 18C

Wellington: Fine with light winds until evening, then cloud increasing.

High 23C Low 15C

Christchurch: Cloud increasing, chance shower. Light winds, but northeasterlies developing afternoon.

High 22C Low 14C

Dunedin: Fine, some evening cloud. Southwesterlies, turning northeast evening.

High 21C Low 14C

Source: MetService