Northland's run of fine weather to continue this week

Omaha-based lifeguard Rhiannon Gill patrols Ruakaka Beach where about 500 people flocked to under clear skies. Photo/John Stone

Fine weather will continue throughout Northland for the rest of this week as holidaymakers prepare to head back home after their Christmas and New Year break.

The official holiday period began at 4pm on December 24 and ended at 6am today, but most holidayers who travelled to Northland for the festive season are not expected to return until this weekend.

MetService meteorologist Ravi Kandula said fine weather was expected to continue in Northland until the end of this week, with temperatures hovering between 26C and 28C.

"The current level of humidity of between 80 and 85 per cent in the morning and around 60 per cent in the afternoon is not expected to increase markedly as the week progresses.

"It should be a fairly benign weather in Northland with a bit of cloud cover."

Hundreds took advantage of fine spells and flocked to beaches around Northland over the last few days.

Lifeguards said there were no water rescues as everyone was generally well behaved.

There were 200 people on the beach and a similar number in the water at Waipu Cove about midday yesterday and although there was surf about a metre high, swimmers were not in danger.

The Waipu Cove Surf Lifesaving Club patrol captain Mikayla Gulicksaid people generally swam between the flags which helped four lifeguards monitor a large number of people.

The club is having a club day this morning including swimming competitions.

At nearby Ruakaka, nearly 200 people flocked to the beach yesterday morning and patrol captain Pia Harpoursaid there were no rescues which was always a good thing.

Among the hundreds that flocked to the Ruakaka Beach were from left, Nico, Ama, Sam and Holly Winder from Maunu and their Auckland friends Thomas, Sylvie, Glenn and Violet Howell. Photo/John Stone

A bit of a swell at Ocean Beach was making currents dangerous but the conditions attracted a lot of surfers, Whangarei Heads Surf Lifesaving Club patrol captain Joe Wilson said.

There were three lifeguards on patrol yesterday.At Mangawhai Heads, close to 200 people were enjoying themselves in the water and on the beach just before 12pm yesterday."The conditions are nice with up to 2m waves and people are mostly well behaved," club captain Alice Neville-Smith said.