Invercargill, Gore nudge temperature records

Brothers (from left) Noah (4), Jediah (3) and Levi (5) Vlaanderen, of Tai Tapu, keep cool while they watch their dad compete at the Mad Bull Rodeo Club, in Henley, on Saturday. PHOTO: CHRISTINE O’CONNOR

Invercargill came agonisingly close to breaking a 24-year-old record when it reached 32.0 degC at 4pm on Saturday.

• South breaks temperature, rain records

The February record stands at 32.1degC, set in 1999.

Gore also came close to breaking its record when the mercury hit 32.6 degC. The record is 33.4 degC, set in 2018.

MetService meteorologist Jessie Owen said it was one of many places that baked in 30 degC or more across Otago and Southland, making it one of the hottest Waitangi weekends on record.

"We’ve had a flow of very warm and moist air coming in from the north for a while now, and while that’s been causing heavy rain in the north, it’s just been warming those temperatures up along the east coast and south coast of the South Island.

"It’s just been getting hotter and hotter."

Alexandra and Mosgiel posted the hottest temperatures of the weekend when they reached 33.1 degC and 32.9 degC respectively at 4pm on Saturday, but they were still several degrees off their respective records, she said.

While many are revelling in the sweltering temperatures, others are looking for some kind of relief.

Ms Owen said that relief would come in the form of a front, which was heading over the South Island at the moment.

"Temperatures will cool a little bit — a few degrees — and then later on Tuesday and into Wednesday, we have a cooler front coming through and that’s going to bring temperatures back down into the teens.

"There’s no significant rain on the cards, but there will be a few brief periods of rain and some showers.

"It’s going to feel quite a lot colder in the second half of this week."

At a glance — Waitangi weekend highs: