Front brings high temperatures in Labour Weekend warm spell

Saturday, 26 October 2019

Millers Flat, adjacent to the Clutha River was the hottest place in the country on Saturday.

Temperatures have almost reached 30 degrees Celsius in the Mackenzie region, days after a snow blanketed the ground around Lake Tekapo.

MetService meteorologist Claire Nickson said at 2.30pm on Saturday, the hottest place in the country was Millers Flat in Central Otago, south of Roxburgh where the mercury hit 28.4C, followed by 27.6C at Roxburgh Airport, then 27.4C at Pukaki Airport near Twizel.

It's a stark difference from Wednesday, where Tekapo took the prize for the coldest area with an overnight low of -3.4C and snow fell around the lake.

Nickson said the South Island, east of the Southern Alps was the warmest place to be on Saturday, but a front moving up the country meant the east coast of the North Island would take that title come Sunday.

**READ MORE:

Lake Tekapo residents woke up to snow on Wednesday and on Saturday the temperature was nearing 30 degrees Celsius.

* Cold spring southerly blasts New Zealand with hail, rain and snow

* New Zealand in 2050: The scenario if temperatures keep rising

* Twizel high school student sets up Mackenzie weather watch page**

Send your weather photos and videos to newstips@stuff.co.nz

Timaru had recorded a temperature of around 20C on Saturday afternoon, but once the wind swung around to the north west, it would get even warmer.

'That's why the inland areas have warmed up first, because those coastal areas could still have a sea breeze and they haven't got the north westerly winds coming across the alps yet.'

On Sunday, the north westerly winds would pick up over the North Island with Gisborne, Wairoa and Hastings forecast to reach 27C.

'We quite often get north westerly winds developing ahead of a front and as that approaches the winds can strengthen and because the air is coming across the mountains and down the other side it dries out and warms up, causing the warmer temperatures.'

The temperatures would drop heading into next week, the high forecast for Oamaru was 24C on Saturday, dropping to 20C on Sunday and 14C on Monday.

On Monday, the front would move up the North Island, bringing an end to the brief warm spell.

A strong wind warning was in place for the Canterbury high country between 3am and 4pm Sunday with gusts of up to 120kmh predicted. Central Otago and the Southern Lakes were on wind watch from 1am to 10am on Sunday.

A post on the Mackenzie Country Weather NZ Facebook page showed temperatures in Twizel, Tekapo and Fairlie were nearing 30C on Saturday afternoon.

Jordan Langley set up the weather watch page in 2016 while he was still at school to keep Mackenzie residents up to date with the weather.

He said on Saturday it felt more like summer after the recent cold snap.

'Earlier in the week we saw snow at Lake Tekapo, some people thought this weekend would get a bit colder because normally you get snow and the cold air comes in but it has been a big turnaround.'

It was calm with clear skies and Langley said high winds weren't expected until later in the evening, when they could become gale force in exposed places.

'Hopefully the holidaymakers have safe travels tomorrow and on Monday.'