Weather: Blue skies for rest of month

Ava Barrington-Tulaga in the splash pool at Auckland's Wynyard Quarter during the city's recent anniversary weekend. Photo / Jason Dorday

While predictions of sunny weather for the rest of the month will come as good news to sun-seekers, it is unlikely to be welcomed by those who are suffering from dry conditions.

After some much needed rain earlier this week a ridge of high pressure will bring more settled weather to most of the country from today, MetService duty meteorologist Emma Blades said.

"Basically it's looking like it's going to be nice and settled apart from a few cloudy periods in the far north and a few showers hanging on around Gisborne as well. Apart from that it's looking fine."

In Auckland temperatures were likely to reach the mid 20s for the rest of the week, with blue skies and easterly winds.

Looking ahead to the rest of the month, those in the South Island and the west of the North Island could expect warmer temperatures than usual, while the rest of the country could expect on average temperatures, she said.

Northland, and possibly Auckland and Coromandel could also expect some "wetter conditions" due to a hint of low pressure.

Extreme temperatures so far this summer have caused headaches for farmers, with many having to de-stock farms due to drought like conditions.

Ms Blades predicted more dry weather was on the cards for the rest of the month.

She said while more rain was expected this month than in January, February was traditionally a "warmer and dryer" month.

"January was so dry we just had that little bit of rain right at the end of the month, and then we had that nice band of rain that moved up the country yesterday which brought some quite good falls to most places.

Weatherwatch.co.nz analyst Philip Duncan also predicted dry and warm weather for the rest of February.

He said while the start of February was unsettled with rain and cooler air, a large high was rolling back in. This meant calmer, drier and hotter was about to return to most of the country.

Mr Duncan also did not predict much rain for New Zealand over the next week or two.

"In fact a large high may well remain firm over most of the country for the rest of February...which is why we are still very concerned about droughts being officially declared in some of our driest regions later this month."

Firefighters in the central North Island and the South Island have also been kept busy with a number of rural fires that have broke out this summer.

A fire that started last Tuesday and ripped across about 400ha of farmland near Onamalutu, in southern Marlborough, was still being monitored by fire crews, to ensure hot spots did not flair up.

With dry conditions set to continue the New Zealand Fire Service was urging people to be careful.

"The hot dry conditions are continuing to bite, as shown by a rise in the number of large rural fires.

"People are generally being very responsible and that's fantastic. We want everyone to be especially careful, to respect fire restrictions and to be mindful of their individual actions."

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This week's forecast:

Today:

Whangarei - A few showers, clearing tonight. Southeasterlies. High 24C Low 17C

Auckland - A few showers, clearing this evening. Easterlies. High 25C Low 14C

Tauranga - Sunny with southeasterly breezes. High 25C Low 13C

Hamilton - Sunny with easterly winds. High 26C Low 10C

Wellington - Sunny. Southerlies, gradually easing this evening. High 17C Low 11C

Christchurch - Fine. Northeasterlies developing this afternoon. High 21C Low 9C

Tomorrow:

Whangarei - Fine periods. Easterly winds. High 22C Low 17C

Auckland - Mainly fine. Easterly winds. High 24C Low 15C

Tauranga - Sunny with light winds. High 24C Low 14C

Hamilton - Sunny with easterly breezes. High 26C Low 11C

Wellington - Sunny with light winds. High 22C Low 12C

Christchurch - Fine. Northeasterlies freshening in the afternoon. High 21C Low 12C

Thursday:

Whangarei - Cloudy periods, chance shower. Easterlies. High 23C Low 16C

Auckland - Fine spells. Easterlies. High 24C Low 15C

Tauranga - Fine with light winds. High 23C Low 15C

Hamilton - Fine with light winds. High 25C Low 13C

Wellington - Fine. Northerlies strengthening. High 22C Low 15C

Christchurch - Mainly fine with northeasterlies. High 28C Low 12C

Friday:

Whangarei - Cloudy periods. Easterlies. High 24C Low 16C

Auckland - Mainly fine. Winds tending southeast. High 25C Low 16C

Tauranga - Fine with light winds. High 25C Low 15C

Hamilton - Fine with light winds. High 27C Low 12C

Wellington - Showers developing afternoon with southerly change. High 19C Low 13C

Christchurch - A few showers with southerly change, strong for a time. High 18C Low 11C

(Source: MetService)