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Much of the South Island sizzled on Sunday as temperatures soared to near-record levels in Christchurch, Kaikōura and Dunedin.
But those who heeded the old adage of waiting until Labor weekend to plant their tomatoes might regret their decision: The rain is coming, temperatures will plummet, and some areas might even see a hint of frost on Wednesday.
The thermometers reached 29.1 degrees Celsius at Christchurch Airport and 29.3 degrees Celsius at Lyttelton, just a shadow below the hottest October day ever recorded in the city, when it reached 30 degrees Celsius in 1980.
JOHN BISSET / Stuff
Southern Islanders, like these vacationers on Loch Laird below Benmore Dam, have hit the water this week, but conditions are about to change.
The hot weather drew hundreds of people to the beaches of Sumner, where children played in the warm sea even though it was only mid-spring.
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The blue skies were also a boost for the musicians at the Big Band Festival that filled the city air with jazz, swing, and big band classics over the long weekend.
Crowds flocked to the Riverside Market to enjoy the music and a drink, though for Brian the bulldog it all got a little over the top, leaving him hot and upset and seeking shelter in a shady spot with a large bowl of water to cool off. .
Joseph Johnson / Stuff
The hot weather was too much for Brian the bulldog, who cooled off with a bowl of cold water as he took refuge in the shade outside Riverside Market on Sunday.
It was even hotter in Dunedin and Kaikōura, both of which had thermometers touching 29.6 ° C, also just below their October records of 30.2 ° C and 30.6 ° C respectively, about 16 ° C above normal for this time of the year. year.
But temperate weather is about to change dramatically, with temperatures plummeting for teens across much of the South Island on Monday and Tuesday, MetService forecaster Gerard Bellam said.
Joseph Johnson / Stuff
Dozens of people enjoy performances during the Big Band Festival outside Christchurch’s Riverside Market on Sunday, where temperatures reached 29 degrees Celsius.
Protected areas in some parts could even see frost on Wednesday morning.
A cold front will bring heavy rain across the South Island from the southwest overnight Sunday through Monday, prompting severe weather warnings from MetService.
Joseph Johnson / Stuff
The mild weather drew thousands of people, including this couple who danced to the music of the Garden City Big Band outside Christchurch’s Tūranga Library on Sunday.
Invercargill, where it reached 24 ° C on Sunday, has already had heavy rains, which lowered temperatures to 11 ° C.
The west coast and southern Alps are expected to see flooding Monday, with strong warnings for Buller, Southland and Otago, and strong wind warnings for the Canterbury Highlands.
Rain could cause rivers and streams to swell, and there are warnings that surface flooding and slipping can make driving conditions dangerous.
Westland could see a drop of up to 250mm by midnight Monday, with 300mm possible at the highest peaks.
The headwaters of the Otago lakes will be drenched with up to 150mm by noon Monday, and the Canterbury lakes and rivers will see similar rains until 8pm as the weather system moves into the country.
Joseph Johnson / Stuff
Warm and sunny weather welcomed attendees to the Indian Diwali Festival in Hagley Park North, Christchurch on Saturday.
Winds during Sunday night were also expected to reach 120 km / h.
Meanwhile, the North Island is expected to see a repeat of Saturday’s conditions Monday, with a wet flow from the north bringing warm conditions.
The humid weather will bring clouds to the central parts of the North Island, but good breaks are expected before the afternoon rains; Napier has a forecast temperature of 24 ° C on Monday.
Bejon Haswell / Stuff
MetService warns that strong winds could make it difficult to drive high-sided vehicles, like this caravan that rolled on Lake Pukaki in 2019.
While Christchurch will see temperatures of around 20 ° C on Monday morning, Bellam said they would drop to low adolescence in the afternoon, about 4 ° C below the norm for the east coast of the South Island at this time.
Colder weather will affect much of the South Island, but the rain will subside late Monday as it heads north.
And there is good news for the end of the week: warm weather will return on Friday, and temperatures are likely to reach 20 degrees in the east of the South Island.
