Parts of New Zealand could hit 37C by early next week as a blistering-hot blast of air moving across from Australia sends temperatures soaring.
WeatherWatch says the heatwave will see most parts of the country kick off February even hotter than how they left January.
"This coming Sunday (and into next week for the North Island) expect places like Gisborne, Napier, Hastings, Northland, Waikato and parts of Canterbury, Marlborough and Nelson to all climb into the 30s," WeatherWatch says.
"In fact, inland parts of both Gisborne and Hawke's Bay regions have the potential to climb to 33C to 37C degrees early next week for a time, provided all the ingredients line up."
A graphic from NIWA shows a sweltering band of hot air moving across the Tasman and pushing New Zealand into the red.
"The sizzling temperatures are set to stick around much of Aotearoa over the next several days, with the highest temperatures in the east of both islands," it says on Facebook.
"We're also in for another week of rainfall below normal (for the time of year) in the already parched areas in the north and east and soil moisture levels will continue to decrease in the coming days."
WeatherWatch says there's no immediate cool-down coming for the North Island's hottest regions, although a potential easterly breeze around Waitangi Day may give the east some relief.
