It's time to stock up on snarlers and suncreen - scientists are predicting this summer is going to be a sizzler.



It comes after a scorching November, which saw temperatures soaring to record levels around the country. Cromwell saw the mercury hit 32.3 C at the weekend, while Hamilton reached 28.1C - its highest reading for the month in 100 years.



Farmers in the top of the North and South Islands are already bracing themselves for another drought as soil moisture levels fall.



According to Niwa's three-month climate outlook Kiwis can expect a hotter, drier summer than usual with the driest weather expected in the far South.



Niwa said a "moderate to strong" La Nina weather pattern to persist until at least the end of February.



La Nina - the opposite of El Nino - means settled, warmer-than-normal weather, with high pressure systems moving across the country, said Niwa principal scientist James Renwick.



Although the driest weather is expected in the West Coast, Southland and Fiordland, given the already extremely dry conditions in the North Island, farmers hoping to avoid the dreaded drought could be unlucky, Renwick said.



"We are expecting the rainfall in the north to be above average but soil moisture and river flow will still be below average given that it's already very dry," he said.



"Spring was really wild this year. We had an extremely wet September and the November was a very dry month, as was October."



It is likely to be wettest in Northland, the Bay of Plenty and Gisborne.



Renwick said scientists were expecting the summer to be "warmer than normal" for all districts in New Zealand.



Sea surface temperatures were below the norm, but were expected to warm to near normal over the summer.



Tropical cyclone activity was likely to be near or above-normal this season.



Niwa records show eight out of the last 10 months had been warmer than average.