Christchurch hits June temperature record, strong winds strike

Christchurch has seen its hottest June temperature on record, hitting 25.1 C at 2pm today, as northwesterly winds buffet the South Island and lower North Island.

Gusts of more than 120km/h have been recorded in Canterbury today, MetService said.

MetService is warning of heavy rain and strong winds this afternoon and overnight.

MetService updated its forecast this morning to pull back the times for when it expects the wind and rain to abate, with the South Island all clear by 1am Sunday and the lower North Island by 5am Sunday.

Flooding forced the closure of State Highway 6 between Haast and Makarora earlier. This has since reopened, with NZTA advising drivers to be wary of remaining surface water.

The highway was also closed between Rapahoe and Nine Mile in the Grey District due to a slip. This has since reopened, with NZTA advising drivers to expect delays as the road remained under stop/go control.

All warnings are expected to lift by the early hours of Sunday, with the MetService forecasting only scattered rainfall for the Winter Solstice.

A front preceded by a strong northwest flow is the culprit. MetService expects it to move over southern and central New Zealand today and into Sunday.

Cristobal Lopez and Paula Lopez-Hamilton on the beach in Christchurch on 20 June, 2026. "It feels nice on a summery day in the middle of winter but we need to be aware of temperature change in the long term and take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions," Paula said.