The scorching hot temperatures that have highlighted the New Zealand summer seems set to continue, while the tropical cyclone predicted to hit our shores looks like it's petering out.
MetService is predicting temperatures to be hot over the next three days with most places around the country in the mid to high twenties. Twizel, Masteron and Blenheim will get the hottest - all predicted to reach the 30s on Tuesday.
"A broad area of high pressure positions itself over the country and brings settled weather to almost all of New Zealand this weekend," MetService meteorologist Luis Fernandes said.
"The resulting light winds and sunshine help push temperatures up, with pretty good holiday weather expected for all the regions getting the long weekend.
"A front will brush the far south on Sunday, with some rain in the area but has little effect on temperatures and by Monday a hot day is expected for parts of Otago and Southland."
The tropical cyclone that looked like forming in the Fiji/Vanuatu area this week looks set to peter out but WeatherWatch says it will still be a tropical rainmaker.
"The area of low pressure had the chance of becoming a cyclone, however for a storm to form, all the low pressure energy needs to be centred in one location," WeatherWatch says.
"This low is stretched out with the energy spread too far, which limits how strong the winds get. High pressure in the NZ area is also limiting the chances of growth."
WeatherWatch says the tropical low could bring heavy summer rain to the South Island but the high pressure around the North Island could see them miss out on the rain.
"With much of the North Island further east than the South Island, the tropical rainmaker may miss out bringing rain to very dry North Island regions," WeatherWatch says.
"The line is very fine between drier than normal and wetter than normal as this tropical system drops southwards."
