Heat alerts have been issued for parts of the country this weekend as remnants of Australia's heatwave crosses the Tasman.
Eastern areas of the country are expected bear the brunt of the sweltering daytime temperatures, with Hawke's Bay – particularly in the Ahuriri Heretaunga, Central Hawke’s Bay, and Northern Tararua areas – forecast to see upwards of 35C on Saturday and Sunday, according to MetService.
"An area of high pressure is driving westerly winds over the Tasman, picking up moisture along the way and delivering that hot, moist air direct to our doorsteps," the weather forecaster said.
1News weather presenter Dan Corbett outlines the prospects for the next few days. (Source: 1News)
A heavy rain watch was in place for Fiordland from Thursday afternoon until Friday morning, with the potential for heavy rain and strong winds over the weekend.
Heat alerts were issued ahead of the weekend for Whakatāne, Napier, Hastings, Motueka, Blenheim, and Kaikōura. While the areas had all met their thresholds for the alerts on Friday, the blistering heat was expected to ramp up on Saturday and Sunday. Forecasts indicated temperatures of 35 to 37C for Hawke's Bay, 30 to 31C in Northland, and 28 to 31C for North Canterbury and Marlborough.
"Thankfully we aren’t receiving the full brunt of the Australian heat – which saw some cities reach 40C to 45C – but these are still high temperatures for New Zealand and planning accordingly is crucial," MetService meteorologist Clare O’Connor said.
She added many parts of the country were bracing for scorching heat but some in the South Island should expect temperature records to tumble January.
The West Coast and Fiordland were forecast to have warning amounts of rainfall through Saturday and Sunday, and strong winds cross the Southern Alps, affecting Otago and Canterbury, adding to the heat in the east. The strong winds would also reach the lower North Island.
'A perfect storm'
Fire and Emergency New Zealand deputy chief executive prevention Nick Pyatt said the high heat, strong wind gusts of up to 30km/h at times, and low humidity was the "perfect storm for wildfire risk".
The risk would be highest in the Canterbury, Marlborough, Wairarapa, Hawke’s Bay, Tairāwhiti, and Northland districts, he said.
Pyatt urged people in the affected areas to take extra care over the weekend, adding that 97% of wildfires in Aotearoa were caused by people.
"We can’t control the fire risk, but we can control our actions.
"If your weekend plans include any activities involving an outdoor fire or spark/heat generating activities such as using power tools and mowing the lawn, we’re asking you to consider postponing these activities."
He advised Kiwis to ensure any burn piles from recent weeks were fully extinguished.
"In these conditions, all it takes is one spark or ember to start a wildfire that will get out of control quickly and be very difficult for our crews to control," Pyatt said.
"If you’re still writing your New Year’s resolutions, consider adding 'be fire safe this summer' to that list."
O'Connor agreed, adding: "A return to more standard weather is forecast for the coming week, so it’s better to wait a couple of days than to take the risk."
The hot and humid weather comes as members of the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union were set to carry out a one-hour strike on Friday.
During the strike action from noon-1pm tomorrow, volunteers would be responding to incidents in cities and towns served by paid firefighters, and delays were expected. Fire and Emergency and the union were due to meet later this month.
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