KEY POINTS:
For northern New Zealand it's going to be a week of winds from the easterly quarter while relatively settled weather spreads to most other places. A large area of high pressure is sticking close to the country and it'll be anchored mostly over the South Island. Along
the northern side of the high is a stream of easterlies, which means temperatures should be up around the 20s in places like Auckland and Northland, especially at night. It'll also mean bigger waves along those east coast beaches from Coromandel Peninsula to Auckland and right up to the Far North.
Over the rest of New Zealand it should be a mainly dry week with no repeat of last weeks wintry outbreak. But temperatures will still take a dive at night with some of that polar air still lurking in the valleys and clear skies and calm winds at night will allow temperatures to drop quite a bit.
The weather has been moving at a fast pace for the past 4 weeks but this week should slow right down. The high over New Zealand is expected to last for the rest of the working week but it's certainly being challenged for ownership of our weather. A few areas of low pressure north of New Zealand will be trying to move in (which is why we'll see those easterlies over the north). They'll be trying to move in and bring rain so cloud and maybe some showers are definitely possible for the top half of the North Island.
In the South Island that high should do a good job at holding back the strong spring storms lurking in the Southern Ocean.
Overseas and another hurricane developed in the Atlantic over the weekend. It's been relatively quiet since Ike roared through but now Paloma has developed. However overnight the hurricane suddenly fell apart and has now been degraded - click here for the latest on it
Back to New Zealand and no severe weather is on the cards here this week thanks to the calming effect of the high. If a low organises itself properly north of New Zealand then there is the potential for rain to move in to northern areas like East Cape, Coromandel and Northland - but at this stage the computer models don't show this happening.
Gales are also likely to steer clear of New Zealand - the South Island and Wellington can take a much needed breather. Also winds will be mainly from the north for the capital so a return to temperatures in the late teens this week rather than around 12 which will be pleasant. This week will be a gentle reminder that Summer is inching closer to us.
Philip Duncan
Pictured above: Mountain enthusiast enjoying late spring skiingat Turoa, Mt Ruapehu on Saturday November 8. Photo / Malcolm Pullman
For the latest weather news keep up to date with The Radio Network's new Weather Watch Centre or the NZ Herald weather section.