KEY POINTS:
Slightly cooler south westerlies will dominate the weather this week, with winds easing in most places by Wednesday or Thursday.
A large high moving in from the Tasman Sea will spread across the North Island first - starting Tuesday and bringing mostly sunny, hot, weather to northern, inland and eastern areas of the country.
Western areas will improve gradually too, as will the south by Wednesday.
In the South Island winds from the westerly quarter will dominate all week - but we aren't expecting a repeat of the crazy weather we've seen lately. Hail, thunder, lightning, waterspouts, record highs - the South Island has really dominated the weather news so far in 2009.
With winds mostly from the west, eastern areas should be the hottest and sunniest places this week. Northern New Zealand is looking pretty good too.
As far as severe weather goes, nothing in the picture at all this week in my view.
Meanwhile overseas the bitterly cold winter blast has eased off slightly in the USA and Canada. Temperatures in Maine, in the north east, dropped to minus 46 Celsius on Saturday morning. That was WITHOUT the wind chill!!
Records have been broken all across the US / Canada border.
I spoke with my Aunt Liz, who lives in Toronto, and she was saying it's so cold outside that frost bite can set in within minutes if you're not careful. Basic things, that New Zealanders take for granted, become a complete mission.
For example just walking a few blocks to get lunch. It is so cold you need to put on several layers of clothing just to do it - a jacket isn't enough.
Your face goes red - for days sometimes - as that cold wind blasts you. And with the air being so dry (both indoors and out) you need to apply moisturiser and lip balm several times a day...even the blokiest of blokes.
A burst water main in Toronto on Friday saw 22,000 without power on what was probably the coldest night of the winter - and people are being told to keep taps on to avoid pipes freezing (and bursting).
Such a world away to us really. Remember this blog in the middle of our winter...when it's 10 degrees in the middle of the day and the only thing we have to worry about is whether or not we'll need a jacket or not!
Top photo: Motorists drive through chilly Toronto, Canada. Photo / AP
