Christchurch has rocketed to 34 degrees this afternoon as a blustery nor’wester and mostly clear skies push across the region.

The heat is affecting Canterbury roughly north of Banks Peninsula, with a cooler southerly moving in behind it.

This hour Christchurch peaked at 34 but has dropped a degree to 33, however a little further south and Timaru has only 19 degrees with that southerly change.

In the North Island some eastern areas are also feeling the heat with 30 degrees around Wairoa and Hastings and 29 in Gisborne. Napier has 28, Paeroa 26.

Gusty winds are hitting the capital with near gales.  The winds are gusting over 80km/h in Wellington this hour.

But while much of the country enjoys hot, dry, weather today spare a thought for those in Invercargill.  The temperature at the airport this hour is only 13 degrees.  Warmer weather is expected to return to Southland tomorrow.

– WeatherWatch.co.nz

– Homepage image / Zelda Wynn