After a slow start, Kiwis are finally starting to say goodbye to autumn and cranking up the heat.
This has been the third-warmest May on record, and the country is "pretty unlikely" to see a "colder-than-average winter", NIWA weather forecaster Chris Brandolino said on TVNZ1's Breakfast this morning.
"The east of the South Island is expected to see above-average temperatures for the winter season," he said. "For the rest of the country, there's about an equal chance for temperatures to be near average or above average.
"It's pretty unlikely that New Zealand sees a colder-than-average winter…Anything's possible, but that's the least likely outcome."
Mr Brandolino said the mountains are unlikely to benefit from the warmer winter, adding, "It's been a slow start."
"We're on track for the third-warmest May on record; we're on track for the fourth, maybe third warmest autumn on record; and we're on track for the fourth warmest start to a calendar year on record - so January through to now. So it's been warm, full stop, no matter how you slice it.
"It's also been quite dry, particularly for the North Island during the month of May, and warm temperatures and dryness doesn’t bode well for the ski fields."
Mr Brandolino said while the weekend will see a "cold blast of weather" that will "feel like winter", NIWA believes it "won't be the theme".
"That won’t kind of dominate the winter headlines as we go through the season as a whole," he explained.
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