Dunedin shrugged off a dismal summer - for one day at least - to hit 31C this afternoon as the South topped the national temperature charts.
The east coast of the South Island basked in a heatwave with Oamaru temperatures reaching 32C and Timaru 33C this afternoon.
in Dunedin swimmers took to the water at St Kilda and St Clair beaches to make the most of the rare hot day.
The hot weather in Oamaru also drew many out to the beach and the ice cream stand.
John Woodham and his granddaughter, Annabel, took shelter from the sun while eating an ice cream.
‘‘We’re melting, that’s for sure,’’ Mr Woodham said.
MetService meteorologist Clare O’Connor said a classic foehn wind scenario, with dry air flowing from the Southern Alps, had pushed up the mercury as it reached eastern areas.
The temperature is forecast to drop tomorrow before rising again on Saturday.
She said cooler air was on the horizon, so people should make the most of the heatwave.
‘‘A fresh southwesterly change early Monday will be in sharp contrast to the hot weather of the weekend.
‘‘Maximum temperatures are forecast to barely reach the high teens early next week.
‘‘In some places, this is even lower than recent overnight temperatures, which might be appreciated by anyone who has been struggling to sleep this last week.’’
