Record Heat Sizzles Auckland: City Swelters Through Hottest November Day Ever
Auckland, New Zealand – November 28, 2025
Auckland officially sweltered through its hottest November day since records began on Thursday, as a surge of warm, humid air pulled down from the north pushed temperatures past the 26°C mark for the first time in the month. The record heat signals an early start to summer-like conditions, which MetService forecasts will likely linger into December.
MetService meteorologist Lewis Ferris confirmed the record, stating that the Auckland Airport recording station officially reached $27.1^\circ\text{C}$ in the afternoon, smashing the previous November maximum temperature of $25.9^\circ\text{C}$. MetService has maintained temperature records for the Auckland region since December 31, 1965.
Subtropical Air Drives Record Temperatures
The record heat in Auckland was part of a widespread warm spell affecting much of the country, with places like Christchurch Airport exceeding $30^\circ\text{C}$ for a second straight day and Hastings reaching a scorching $33.0^\circ\text{C}$—its highest November temperature in at least 60 years.
Ferris explained that the unusual heat is being driven by powerful weather systems dragging “very warm, humid air” down from subtropical regions to the north.
“Auckland being closer to there, they are going to be feeling those effects and people have probably been wondering why it felt so swampy, so humid the last couple of days,” Ferris said. “It is that warm, humid air being dragged down, and it does look to hang around, as we make our way through the rest of this week and into next week.”
The high humidity added a significant “muggy” feel to the day, prompting an immediate surge in electricity demand. Transpower reported evidence of energy usage spiking by approximately 100MW across the Auckland region—an increase of around 10% attributable to greater use of air conditioning and cooling appliances.
Lingering Warmth and Thunderstorm Risk
The MetService forecast indicates that the humid conditions are set to persist, despite the promise of intermittent rain, which Ferris warned would only add to the “swampy” feeling.
The meteorologist pointed to another factor suggesting a warmer-than-average summer: sea-surface temperatures to the northwest of New Zealand are already above average. Ferris suggested that if similar wind flows continue to track across the country in the coming weeks, “These warm, humid days could be something we see a little bit more of, as we head through December.”
Forecasting December:
While acknowledging that “December is a little bit of a copout when it comes to summer” due to inevitable cooler southerly changes, Ferris advised residents to prepare for more frequent bursts of warmth.
The combination of warm, humid air and low-level moisture also raises the risk of localized, heavy afternoon weather events.
“Warm, humid air did provide a good amount of low-level moisture, which could turn into afternoon showers and potentially thunderstorms,” Ferris said. “People will need to be keeping up with the forecast to see if those showers are going to be turning up in the afternoon.”
Residents are advised to keep air conditioning and ventilation systems ready, stay hydrated, and check local MetService alerts, especially regarding the potential for sharp, sudden afternoon downpours that could impact outdoor plans.
