South Island of two halves: Canterbury sizzles as heavy rain pelts West Coast

Sunday, 12 January 2020

Layla Blue Sisikefu, 4, drenched herself in cool water as temperatures climbed to 31.9C in Christchurch Sunday afternoon.

Christchurch residents lathered themselves in sunblock and gobbled down iceblocks as temperatures in the city soared to a sweltering 31.9 degrees Celsius on Sunday.

MetService spokesman Tuporo Marsters said after a warm morning, temperatures peaked at 1pm with the city still experiencing about 30C until late in the afternoon.

Temperatures were also blistering hot across the rest of Canterbury, with Canterbury Weather Updates recording a high of 33.3C in Cheviot. Last year, residents in the small North Canterbury town almost witnessed history as temperatures reached 35.6C on February 14, which tied for the town's second hottest February temperature on record.

Maia Gallegos, 6, cools off at Christchurch's Margaret Mahy Playground on Sunday.

Residents in Gore Bay, Greta Valley and Amberley also basked in sunshine with a high of 32C, and temperatures of 31C were recorded in Rangiora, Little River, Akaroa, Rolleston, Kaikōura and Leeston. Culverden and Waiau also snuck out of the 20s, both reaching 30C.

* Wet and thundery day ahead as storms linger over New Zealand

* Heavy rain, severe gales to hit parts of South Island as front moves up country**

Nevaeh Hawke, 8, dashes through the fountain to escape the heat.

Siblings Nevaeh, 8, and Israel Hawke, 5, spent the afternoon at Christchurch's Margaret Mahy Playground, darting through the ice-cold water spraying from the fountain.

Nevaeh said running through the water was a good way to avoid the heat, with others at the playground opting to tuck in to icecreams from a nearby cart to cool off.

Despite the warm weather on Sunday, those in Christchurch don't need to keep their togs out of the wardrobe.

MetService is forecasting late morning cloud and showers on Monday, with temperatures expected to peak at 17C. The rest of the week looks warm and fine, with temperatures sitting about 20C.

But those in the Mackenzie Country and inland basins, such as Hanmer Springs, look set to experience the brunt of the warmer temperatures with sunny skies and light winds set to dominate.

Canterbury Weather Updates forecaster Russel Voice said some of the region's warmest spots next week would include Twizel, Hawarden, Castle Hill Village, Lake Coleridge, Lake Ohau, Lake Tekapo, Lake Pukaki and Omarama – perfect for those still enjoying the last days of their summer holiday.

He predicted the hottest day would likely come on Thursday or Friday. The likes of Twizel and Hanmer Springs would be 'fighting it out for top honours', with 30C to 32C possible. The highest temperature ever recorded in the South Island was 42.4C in Rangiora in 1973.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokeswoman Lyn Crosson said discarded cigarette butts had been the main cause of small shrub fires around the region on Sunday, with crews called to several 'little' fires over the course of the day.

'It's quite dry and fires will start easily,' she said.

Sunday was a mixed bag for weather across the island, with heavy rain warnings in place for Canterbury and the West Coast in the morning.

More than 111 millimetres of rain lashed Arthur's Pass from midnight on Sunday, and heavy rain dampened the West Coast until the evening.

MetService issued a heavy rain watch for Nelson Lakes and the ranges of Buller until 11pm on Sunday as forecasters feared rainfall accumulations could approach warning criteria. Surface flooding and slips were also possible.