Even though temperatures only reached 17degC at St Clair Beach yesterday, walkers, sunbathers, surfers as well as pupils from St Clair School were among those scattered along St Clair and St Kilda Beaches.
At Dunedin International Airport, the temperature reached 24.3degC.
A warmer and drier summer than usual is predicted for Central Otago, but the coast, including Dunedin, is not expected to fare so well, climate scientist Georgina Griffiths says.
The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research climate outlook for December to February shows a mild La Nina summer is likely for New Zealand. That meant seasonal temperatures would be above average on the West Coast and normal or below normal for the rest of the South Island.
So for coastal Otago, it would only be "warmish" and "dryish" as temperatures and rainfall were likely to be near normal or below, she said.
Soil moisture levels would probably be near normal in eastern regions of both islands.
La Nina conditions were likely to continue this summer, but were not expected to be as strong as last summer, she said.
