Queenstown, Cromwell, Wanaka, Dunedin and Gore yesterday reached the highest temperatures recorded this festive season.
Cromwell topped the country at 30.7degC about 3.30pm.
MetService meteorologist Angus Hines said it had been a warm day across the region.
"It was certainly building to a fairly warm day in the South," he said.
"I won’t say nice and warm because for some people, 30 degrees is a bit too hot."
Fenz is predicting it will be a "spike day" today, when the fire danger rises sharply before dropping back again, and are asking holidaymakers to take care with open fires.
Wanaka came second in the heat stakes, posting a high of 28.4degC about 3.30pm, followed by Dunedin at 28.3degC at 2pm, 2.30pm and 3.30pm, Mr Hines said.
Gore sat on 27.7degC at 3.30pm yesterday, and Queenstown came in at 26.8degC between 3pm and 3.30pm.Missing out on a summer-topping temperature was Invercargill, which reached 25.5degC at 2.30pm, just behind the highest this year of 26.9degC on December 13.
Oamaru was let down by "onshore winds" lowering the temperatures and pushed past the 20s to 21.3degC at 3.30pm.
"Otago and Southland should see similarly warm temperatures again [today]," Mr Hines said.
Temperatures were set to to drop off in the South early tomorrow, but were expected to bounce back for the New Year’s period, he said.
"Things will get a bit cloudy and several degrees cooler Friday and Saturday ... but it looks like a few places will get back to the mid-20s for the first couple of days next year," Mr Hines said.
Otago community risk manager James Knapp said the overall fire risk in the region was in the moderate-to-high range, where care was always needed, but the risk would rise to high or extreme today.
"On Monday, we had a near miss on Queenstown Hill, and it was only thanks to the efforts of the volunteer fire brigades that homes weren’t damaged or destroyed.
"It shows just how quickly a small fire can grow into a blaze and be very difficult to bring under control," Mr Knapp said.
