Seven days of hot, dry weather are set for Wellington, which is currently in drought-like conditions.
MetService is not forecasting any rain in the capital until Monday next week but even that, the national weather forecaster is first to admit, is far from certain.
While some cloud was forecast for most of the coming week, daily highs were expected to range from 21degC to 25C and most nights the temperature would only drop to 16C.
* Week starts with a scorcher: Warm weather settled in * Water bans looming for Wellington as region ‘on the cusp’ of a shortage * CuriousCity: Where Wellington stores its water The long, fine patch was caused by a ridge of high pressure over the North Island that would shift away from Wellington later in the week, letting some wind in but no let-up in the dry conditions.
"This is really good because we don’t have to use water from the [Kaitoke reservoirs] lakes."
Wellington’s water use had been entirely supplied by the Hutt River and aquifer, leaving the "piggy bank" reservoir free for later in the season.
"If we start digging into the piggy bank early in the summer it is a bit worrying."
MetService Meteorologist Ciaran Doolin said a slow-moving front was expected to bring rain to the far south and Fiordland on Monday and Tuesday.
During Friday the ridge is expected to start moving east of the country as a northwesterly flow builds over the South Island, according to MetService.
None were expected for Monday.