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Christchurch's fire risk stays high
Last updated 05:00 11/01/2013

Christchurch can expect more high temperatures and strong winds over the next few days, keeping the fire risk high.

MetService duty forecaster Peter Knudsen said the city was in for more of yesterday's hot, dry conditions today and over the weekend.

Temperatures in the city reached 26 degrees Celsius yesterday, with a gusty northwesterly contributing to the quick spread of several scrub fires on the outskirts of Christchurch.

Knudsen said Christchurch could expect a high of 25C today.

The temperature would jump to 28C tomorrow, although northeasterly winds would make the heat a bit more bearable, he said.

"The northeasterly is normally cooler. It's more persistent though."

He said Sunday would bring a high of 29C and more northwesterly winds, which were "warmer in general", before a southwesterly change brought light rain at night.

Knudsen said Christchurch had had 10.4 millimetres of rain so far this month, making it slightly drier than normal for this time of year. The lowest rainfall on record for Christchurch in January was 7.8mm in 1998.
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