Temperatures are expected to be closer to average for this time of year, MetService says, following sweltering highs over the weekend.
MetService meteorologist John Law said it would be a "fine, dry and sunny day" for most of the country on Tuesday.
"There are a few showers there in toward Fiordland, perhaps skirting toward Invercargill and around that Southland coast, but for most of us it's just areas of dry, fine cloud to look out for and plenty of dry, fine weather."
MetService said after the sweltering temperatures experienced over the weekend they would be "a lot closer to average January temperatures" today.
Napier and Masterton were both expected to hit highs of 28C today, while Wairoa was forecast to top 29C.
"A warm summer day for them, but a long way from anything record-breaking," MetService said online.
Down south, temperatures were "a notch below their January averages".
Some areas in the Southern Lakes and Southland would struggle to reach 20C today.
Just after 10.30am, a yellow heavy rain watch was issued for Nelson and Tasman Districts north of Nelson Lakes from Wednesday afternoon and Marlborough and the Kaikōura Coast from Wednesday evening.
Metservice said rainfall amounts in these areas "may approach warning criteria, especially west of Takaka where thunderstorms are possible".
Looking forward, the forecaster said some scattered showers would develop for both the North and South Islands from Wednesday.
On Thursday these showers may become more widespread, and possibly heavy for a time in the afternoon and evening.
The sizzling temperatures combined with severe wind gusts had kept firefighters busy battling vegetation fires across Canterbury, Hawke's Bay and Nelson into Monday.
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