Sun and swimmers out in Mission Bay, Auckland. Photo: RNZ / Jordan Dunn
Much of the country will continue to experience warm temperatures over the coming days, but thankfully, a reprieve from the warm nights is coming, MetService says.
It was a sweltering day across much of the country on Thursday, with temperatures also exceeded 30°C at Christchurch Airport for a second consecutive day while 33.0°C in Hastings was the day's hottest spot.
MetService said Auckland recorded its highest November temperate on record of 27.1°C at their Auckland Airport station.
A thunderstorm brought a burst of rain at 5:30am for western parts of the North Island. This will push eastwards but clear up in time for Saturday, MetService said.
If you were woken by thunder at 5:30am, here’s what the radar looked like…
— MetService NZ (@MetService) November 27, 2025
A decent burst of rain in the early hours of this morning for western parts of the North Island. This will push eastward today but will clear up in time for Saturday.
Here are some of the bigger peak… pic.twitter.com/7WalbWwmqP
MetService head of weather Heather Keats said "we've got summer knocking on our door".
She told Morning Report a heat alert was in place for Napier, which has seen temperatures in the high 20s to early 30s, but are also experiencing warm nights.
"When we issue heat alerts from this time on, for not just warm days, but when it's really warm over night and you don't get much of a reprieve." Keats said.
"... Prolonged heat, especially with the humidity, it makes sleeping very difficult. We know how important it is for temperatures to be at a low level for sleep to be healthy. So, it's an indication for people who are vulnerable to heat exposure and heat-stroke, to keep them hydrated [and] a good indication to check on elderly... [and] pets."
Keats said Hastings and Christchurch were close to heat alerts. She said we are still seeing massive swings in weather, for example Christchurch was 15°C on Monday and on Wednesday it was 30°C degrees.
She said Auckland on Friday will be slightly cooler with high of 25°C.
"November has been warm. We've seen some very high temperatures, especially out in the eastern side of the country. We've had these increased northerly flows, we've got humid air masses coming down from the tropics," Keats said.
"But, we've also got warmer then normal sea-surface temperatures to the north and west. We are looking already at like 21 degrees in the Firth Of Thames - that's around what we'd expect in summer - so, that fuels the temperatures as well."
Hot temperatures and high winds have caused nine fires to break out across Otago and Southland on Thursday.
Permits will soon be needed to light an outdoor fire in Central Otago and the Upper Waitaki.
Both areas will shift into a restricted fire season on Monday.
Fire and Emergency community risk manager James Knapp said the fire risk typically increases at this time of the year as temperatures rise and vegetation dries out.
Fires can become harder to control and extinguish.
Keats said it will continue to be warm for the next few days.
Monday will be the first day of summer, and what that will bring is "anyone's guess at the moment", Keats said.
Australia's Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) declared a La Niña event is officially underway in the Pacific for the first time since 2023.
Keats said in New Zealand, we will see more difficult La Niña conditions as we move into December such as warm sea surface temperatures. La Niña, for New Zealand, typically sees more north-easterly winds, moist and rainy conditions for eastern North Island, and reduced rainfall for the lower and western South Island.
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