Wednesday night saw some fairly rare temperatures for this time of year – with many centres remaining in the 20s overnight, as these northwest winds bring heat from the tropics to New Zealand.

A burst of rain and showers is heading in for the upper North Island, which will please many farmers in dry parts of Northland and Waikato in particular – though most of the rest of the country stays relatively dry.

Check out the rest of your forecast, including your weekend outlook, with Philip Duncan, below.