It'll be fine but watch for frost

A cloudless sky above the Kaweka Range, seen from Sugar Loaf Reserve, Napier, yesterday. Photo / Warren Buckland

Fine weather is set to continue into the weekend although clear skies will herald chilly mornings and a chance of frost, MetService says.

Hawke's Bay enjoyed fine weather yesterday and an above-average daytime high of 15C.

MetService forecaster John Law expected "a great Friday ahead" today, with more clear skies and a high of 16C.

However, there was patchy cloud possible south of Cape Kidnappers, and showers skirting the coast around Mahia.

Tomorrow would be "the best day of the week", Mr Law said, with fine, dry weather expected, hampered by some early morning cloud and cool southwesterlies.

Sunday would bring a few showers about the coast but plenty of sunny breaks.

Despite the sunshine, Mr Law said there would be "chilly starts" during the next few days, with a chance of frost in rural areas.

The possibility of frost was heightened by an absence of cloud cover and strong winds.

Air temperature lows of 3C could be deceiving today and tomorrow, with the ground temperature likely to dip below freezing. The overnight low would drop to a frigid 1C on Sunday.

Mr Law said a westerly flow would return to the region next week, which meant dry weather due to rain protection from the ranges in the east.

But rain might creep temporarily past those defences on Tuesday.

WeatherWatch.co.nz forecaster Aaron Wilkinson said western parts of the North Island would bear the brunt of showers next week, while the east coast enjoyed sunny weather.

Mr Wilkinson predicted "some really nice warm days", with 18C midweek.

"You'll start to notice it warming up from Tuesday."