31 towns and cities across New Zealand reached 20 degrees and above yesterday just four and a half weeks from the start of winter.  16 of those 31 centres reached between 24 and 27 degrees as a warm northerly continued to cover much of the country.

Northern centres were cloudy and humid while eastern areas were drier but hotter. 

Even at 7pm last night Christchurch was still on 23 degrees, normally single digits at this time of year, and much of the North Island was on 19 with higher humidity.

The North Island still has a couple more warm days ahead but for the South Island today is the final one as a southerly at the back end of this large low moves in.

Temperatures will take a big dive with places on 27 yesterday possibly only reaching 12 tomorrow.   The cold air will arrive in Wellington on Thursday and what’s left of it will make it to Auckland on Friday night or Saturday – although by then it will have lost most of its puff.

Today we’ll have regular updates with the current extremes across the country as wind, rain and unsual warmth continue to affect many regions.