Talking in the car today after me and a colleague had both been scurrying for jerseys: her husband had said “only three days and we think it is a warm summer”.

Dropped to 12 degrees today. Three days does not make a summer: they describe a nor’wester. From the O’Herald:

A gusty, cold, southerly change is spreading up the South Island – for many this will be a relief from the huge temperatures experienced over the weekend. Official temperatures reached 37 and 35 both Saturday and Sunday through Canterbury but this morning that southerly change is had an instant affect.

The temperature in Christchurch was just 12 degrees at 11am with a strong southerly. That same gusty southerly was also moving into Kaikoura with gusts to 80km/h. Further south it was 13 in Timaru and 12 in Dunedin, 11 in Invercargill and just 10 in Gore. Meanwhile the West Coast is basking in temperatures already close to 20.

via Short, cool breather after hot weekend – 27 Jan 2009 – Weather Watch – NZ Herald Blog.