A beautiful day awaits most in the North Island today, as mostly sunny conditions make for an epic Saturday - but a severe weather watch looms further south.
Aucklanders are waking up to stunning weather this morning, as the sun beats down on the city early on.
A temperature high of 21C is expected in the City of Sails today and an overnight low of 14C. Light winds of about 4km/h are also forecast and there will be some areas of cloud this morning.
The same mostly fine conditions are forecast for Northland, Coromandel Peninsula and the Bay of Plenty.
Highs of up 22C and 23C are expected in Kaitaia and Whāngārei, respectively.
It will be fine in and around Hamilton, apart from some morning and evening cloud; well as some light westerly winds.
A mostly sunny day is expected in Auckland today. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
A mostly cloudy day in the west from Waikato to Wellington - as well as the central high country - with isolated showers mainly about higher ground is expected, the MetService says.
People in those areas can be happy to know that there will be fine spells this afternoon.
More sun is forecast in Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, the Wairarapa, Nelson, Marlborough and Canterbury.
Severe rain watch now a heavy rain warning
Further south, high cloud is forcast over Otago and Southland. Rain will develop about coastal Southland Clutha this evening.
Buller, Westland and Fiordland can expect a mostly cloudy day with patches of drizzle. Some fine spells will offer some reprieve this afternoon.
Plenty of blue skies at the moment, with clouds in western areas and in the far south with a trough there. A ridge of high pressure continues to hold on over the North Island with settled weather into tomorrow as a front makes its way onto the west coast of the South Island. ^KL pic.twitter.com/cuxfsSxNAl
