Warm weather is on the way for much for the country, with temperatures in some regions set to rise 10C above average.
A whopping 85 percent of the country will end the month with hotter-than-normal weather, according to WeatherWatch, with the warmest temperatures forecast for inland spots towards the eastern part of the country.
The temperature hike is so drastic, in fact, that meteorologists are warning that conditions are "pushing towards heatwave criteria".
A heatwave is when the daily high temperature is 5C warmer than the average maximum temperature for at least five days straight. Because the warm weather is forecast for four days, it will technically fall just short of officially being labelled a heatwave.
The hot weather comes as sub-tropical airflows and northwesterly winds move in, and dry conditions are also on the way.
WeatherWatch meteorologist Philip Duncan says some parts of the country may not see a drop of rain for the rest of the month.
"Places like Nelson, Marlborough and Northland may receive no rain at all, not even a shower, for the rest of the month. Other regions like Waikato, Auckland, and Wairarapa may get 0.2 to 1mm".
The dry conditions are set to add to the rapid drying out of farms, gardens and surface soil moisture, Duncan said.
Despite the lack of rainfall in many regions, conditions are expected to be a little wetter than usual in the southwest of the South Island, particularly around Fiordland and South Westland. While further north, around Westport, conditions will be drier than normal for this time of year.
Temperatures in much of the country will hover around the low to mid-20s over the weekend, with some places, like Christchurch and Blenheim, edging towards 30C on Sunday.
