Kiwis sweltering in the hot weather can look forward to some relief, with "much cooler" temperatures on the way.
While it will still be "scorching hot" on Tuesday in the east and north of both islands, WeatherWatch says a cold front is pushing up the South Island. This will reach the western North Island in the evening.
"By Wednesday most regions will be less muggy and have less heat as more of a southerly-quarter airflow moves up the nation," head forecaster Philip Duncan says.
The new southern airflow is set to push both day and night temperatures below average for parts of New Zealand.
Thursday night in Queenstown is forecast to be a chilly 4C, and Lumsden in northern Southland will drop to just 3C - almost frost temperatures.
In the North Island, an easterly will be blowing in for Gisborne and other areas on the east coast, providing a welcome change from the recent scorching temperatures.
"That could drop your temperatures by over 10C from where you were on Tuesday," Duncan says.
And WeatherWatch forecasts a windy run of weather coming for Wellington.
The cool weather is set to last into Waitangi Day as well.
"The temperatures drop, the humidity drops, there'll still be plenty of heat in the afternoon in the sun, but there might be a couple of lingering showers… coming in around the south and coastal parts of Otago," Duncan says.
There's expected to be one last southerly burst on Saturday where Southland and Otago may receive some rain, then there's another high on the way that will bring back the dry weather.
