Children enjoyed their day at the beach at the Nikao Social Centre yesterday, beating the heat in Rarotonga.

Temperatures soared to around 30 degrees Celsius and 74 per cent humidity.

The humid conditions experienced on the island have seen many, especially children, taking a dip in their nearby lagoon and making the most of their remaining school break before the new academic year starts next week.

According to the Cook Islands Meteorological Service’s “Early Action Rainfall Watch” for the month, the dry spell for Rarotonga and the Southern Cook Islands is likely to persist, while there is a high chance of rain/wetter conditions for the Northern Cook Islands.

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The Northern group islands of Manihiki and Rakahanga experienced heavy rainfall reaching 304 millimetres and 320.6 millimetres, respectively, last month (December 2023).

However, for the Southern Cook Islands, excluding Rarotonga, it was mostly a dry December with little rain. Ngaputoru (Atiu, Mauke, Mitiaro, and Takutea) experienced slightly more than 100 millimetres of rainfall, while the rest of the Southern Cook Islands received less than 60 millimetres.

According to the forecast for the coming month, Aitutaki is expected to experience dry conditions, and the Northern Cook Islands (Penrhyn, Rakahanga, Manihiki, Pukapuka, Nassau, and Suwarrow) are expected to have more rain.