KEY POINTS:
Slap the sunscreen and sunglasses on and pack a few bevvies in the chilly bin - the long weekend promises more sunny and warm weather for most as summer rolls on.
MetService weather ambassador Bob McDavitt says people enjoying the three-day break over Auckland Anniversary Weekend will enjoy good weather and most holiday destinations in the North Island will be warm and dry.
"Fine, warm weather is the forecast for most people for their anniversary weekend," said Mr McDavitt.
In the rest of the country, where it is not a holiday weekend, Wellington can look forward to a rain-free weekend with sunny skies today, tomorrow and a little cloud on Sunday before it fines up for Monday.
For Christchurch, Metservice is forecasting some cloud today and tomorrow before drizzle periods set in on Sunday and Monday.
In the South, Dunedin is in for some cloudy periods today and tomorrow with rain on Sunday before the sun comes out on Monday.
He said the outlook for the weekend's Auckland Harbour Festival, re-named the Aquatica Festival, which two years ago attracted more than 200,000 visitors, was also favourable.
"There will be a nice little southwesterly breeze for Auckland, about 15 knots, which will be perfect for the regatta with a moderate swell in the Hauraki Gulf on Monday," he said.
Asked what would be the best place for people planning to take their long weekend outside Auckland, Mr McDavitt said: "Anywhere really."
Despite areas in Northland, exposed places to the east and parts of the central North Island getting a "good dose" of rain and wind from Cyclone Funa earlier in the week, Mr McDavitt said these places should be fine.
The only "fly in the ointment" was Gisborne, where a low-pressure system from the tropics is expected to bring heavy rain and strong south-easterly winds.
"It doesn't mean much for people in Auckland, which will have fine weather, but the surf's definitely up in Gisborne," said Mr McDavitt.
He blamed La Nina for the recent spell of humid weather around Auckland but said this would dissipate over the weekend with more comfortable temperatures in the area.
"The main thing which has been causing the northeasterly winds over the Auckland region is a characteristic of La Nina which encourages the anti-cyclones to take a path further south than normal.
"The big, large anticyclones will be moving over the South Island bringing them hot, dry weather and us hot, easterly weather, which means not much rain."
