With 10 days remaining in April, Dunedin is a few rays of sunshine away from a record.
So far this month, 115 hours hours of sunshine have been recorded in the city, compared to the full April average of 121.
The city was likely to exceed 180 hours for the first time since records began in 1948, Niwa climate scientist Andrew Tait said yesterday.
"If we continue on along this path, we might be talking about quite a significant record."
The previous highest number of sunshine hours recorded was 179, in 2005.
"A lot of people have complained about the summer weather in New Zealand this year, but it seems the Otago region wasn't as bad as places like Auckland."
All three of Niwa's automated recorders in Otago - at Cromwell, Balclutha and Middlemarch - are on course to record highs this month.
Cromwell has had 150 sunshine hours so far this month, compared with the monthly high of 170 hours; Balclutha has had 103 hours (117 hours the monthly high) and Middlemarch 110 hours (144 hours).
MetService is forecasting the golden summer to continue, with temperatures of 19degC forecast for today and 16degC tomorrow, Monday and Tuesday.
Forecasters predict a 0% chance of rain before Tuesday.
Dunedin's average daily high so far this month has been 16.8degC, compared with the April average of 15.5degC.
The warm autumn conditions were the result of a large high above the country, which would drift slowly eastwards over the next few days, bringing fine weather to most of the country, MetService spokesman Daniel Corbett said yesterday.
However, overnight temperatures would continue to plummet, he said.
"Towns such as Queenstown have seen the mercury drop down to one or two degrees on recent mornings, despite climbing to 18degC during the day," he said.
Why would you live anywhere else?
As New Zealand's golden province prepares to bask in another dry, sunny day, spare a thought for those elsewhere.
Auckland: Partly cloudy, 40% chance of rain.
Sydney: Cloudy, 50% chance of rain.
Cairns: Overcast, 40% chance of rain.
Suva: Overcast, 70% chance of rain.
Rarotonga: Thunderstorms, 50% chance of rain.
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