Sweltering heat in the Western Bay of Plenty on Monday forced thousands of people to the various beaches across the region.

MetService forecaster Nic Bonnette says the maximum temperature in Tauranga on Monday was 24.8 degrees celsius.

Mount Maunganui Surf Club head lifeguard, James Roy, says between 3000 to 4000 people packed Mount Main Beach on Monday.


Hundreds of people at Pilot Bay at about midday on Monday.

A similar number of beachgoers arrived at Tay Street.

'The water's jumped up from 18 degrees to 20 and there's nice waves coming through so I think the water looks really attractive to a lot of people.”

Close to 1000 people arrived at the beach in front of Papamoa Surf Club from about 11am. Between 300 to 400 beachgoers were at Omanu.

Papamoa lifeguard Shaun Smith says the wind has dropped off.

'Everyone's quite spread out along the beach. Every family has their own little spot,” says Shaun.

The MetService predicts temperatures in the Western Bay will remain between 24 and 25 degrees for the rest of the week.

Lifeguards at all of the surf clubs reported only a few minor water incidents throughout the day.

Whakatane's maximum temperature on Monday was 24.2 degrees celsius and Rotorua reached 26.1.