Hot spell one-day wonder

JOHN HAWKINS/ The Southland Times

SUMMER IN THE CITY: Myhayla, 4, and her brother Phoenix, 2, make the most of a hot day in Queens Park with their dad Jessie Tonga.

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Don't put your coats away just yet – yesterday's sizzling hot weather was a one-day wonder.

Much of the lower South Island basked in sunshine and hot temperatures yesterday, with most centres reaching the high 20s.

Dunedin topped the list, reaching 30 degrees celsius, with Alexandra not far behind on 29C.

Balclutha reached 27C, Invercargill and Queenstown reached 26C, and Gore hit 25C.

While the high temperatures pushed people outdoors, with many flocking to parks and beaches in the middle of the day, by mid-afternoon things had cooled again. In Invercargill the mercury dropped 5 degrees in an hour, moving from 26C at 1pm to 21C at 2pm.

Visitors to Milford Sound had to break out the raincoats, with the tourist hot spot receiving 44mm of rain yesterday after more than 60mm on Saturday.

Metservice forecaster Shane Bidois said the hot weather was caused by warm nor'westers moving across the lower part of the South Island.

However, before people got too excited at the apparent arrival of summer they should keep their coats handy, as wet, cool weather was on its way, he said.

Rain was forecast for most of today but should ease by Thursday.

It was likely to be accompanied by the usual strong winds, Mr Bidois said.

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