Christchurch was forecast to hit as high as 36C, which would just top the city’s record warmest January temperature of 35.9C. “So warm air mass plus the warm wind direction plus very sunny days.”These conditions aren’t forecast to last the week, though. Wednesday’s temperatures will still be high, but the air mass is changing from hot to warm. “Switching from a hot air mass to a warm air mass to a cool air mass, a lot of those eastern areas of the South Island will see a 20C drop from the likes of today,” Ferris said on Tuesday. An extra kick of high humidity would help boost temperatures, as well as bring warm conditions to other regions.

Source: Stuff January 26, 2021 01:53 UTC