Tropical weather coming for NZ! Get ready for humid days and 'seriously' sticky nights

People living in the north are in for a few sticky, tropical days and being told to expect some "seriously muggy nights".

MetService is warning in some regions temperatures will barely shift between daytime highs in the mid-20s and overnight lows as warm tropic-charged air washes over the top half of the country.

It says the North Island will experience some seriously muggy nights as fresh northerlies drag in sticky, warm air from the tropics.

Overnight temperatures on Tuesday will resemble daytime highs, possibly climbing to 20C in Hawke's Bay," said the forecaster in a Facebook post.

Today Auckland is set to reach a humid 26C before dipping to a balmy 19C overnight. Humidity was already at an uncomfortable 94 per cent by 8am.

In Tauranga residents are in for an equally challenging night, going from 23C in the day to 20C overnight. Napier goes from a sweltering 28C to 21C overnight.

In what MetService is describing as a "wet and windy interlude" the settled weather enjoyed over the Waitangi long weekend is being replaced with rainy days and humid nights as a front tracks up the country today and tomorrow.

The heaviest falls are reserved for Westland, Buller, and Fiordland where a number of heavy rain warnings and watches are in place. However, Otago and South Canterbury are also likely to get a decent soaking, according to the forecaster.

On Tuesday, many North Island locations will be the hottest spots in the country, with Masterton, Palmerston North, Whanganui, Napier and Hamilton all rising to 27C and Hastings and Gisborne hitting 28C.

MetService says the sticky spell is expected to be broken by Thursday when southwesterlies bring cool relief and return the country to settled weather for Friday.

This article was first published on the NZ Herald and is republished here with permission.