An unusual weather set up today is seeing hot summer conditions for northern New Zealand while just a few hundred kilometres away gales and rain are ruining more outdoor activities.

In New Plymouth and across Taranaki gale force southerlies have been blasting the area all night.  Heavy rain overnight closed the Desert Road after conditions became slippery.  As of 9:30am it was just 10 degrees in Waiouru and not much warmer further east where rain and winds have Napier and Hastings on 15…

However further north in Auckland and other northern regions the mercury hardly dipped below 20 degrees last night – and that’s expected to happen again overnight tonight.  Temperatures yesterday reached the mid to late 20s across northern New Zealand with fairly sunny skies and only lights winds – quite a significant difference from just further south.

Wellington spent much of yesterday only on 13 degrees with a howling southerly that was gale at times.  Currently it’s just 12 degrees with that gale force southerly still pounding the city with gusts to 120km/h on the hilltops.  Flights in and out of the capital are expected to be bumpier than usual today due to the rough weather.

And it remains cold along the South Island’s east coast this morning with many places between 10 and 13 degrees.  It remains warm along the West Coast though as an easterly wind delivers the opposite effect of the nor’wester.  Temperatures reached the mid 20s yesterday from Milford Sound to Murchison and today is expected to be similar.