Sun to shine through for long weekend

At Beach Volleyball in Auckland yesterday. Picture / Kenny Rodger

The north of the country could be drenched for part of the week but rain should clear up in time for Auckland Anniversary weekend, forecasters say.

The MetService is predicting a low-pressure system from the tropics to bring showers and strong winds during the week.

However, a ridge of high pressure from the Tasman Sea should come to the rescue on Friday.

Heavy rain and gale force easterly winds are forecast for the north and east of the North Island on Tuesday and Wednesday.

A heavy northeast swell should build, easing late on Wednesday.

On Friday showers and easterly breezes were expected to gradually fade away in the Auckland region.

Conditions were expected be dry, with light winds, and maximum temperatures in the mid-20s on Saturday, Sunday and Monday, said MetService forecaster Andy Best.

Those in the lower North Island and the South Island could expect fine weather with light winds.

Hot weather in Auckland drew a crowd of about 2000 to the Beach Volleyball Open at the Stanley St tennis centre in Auckland yesterday and 10,000 to beaches around the region.

Dry conditions also contributed to a spate of of large scrub fires across the country during the weekend.

At Piha in Auckland, a blaze that broke out on Saturday reignited yesterday, and in the Far North, firefighters spent two days battling 20ha of burning scrub.

Further south, firefighters battled blazes in Taupo, Lower Hutt, Petone and Christchurch.

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