At the moment the front was over the lower North Island, bringing a few showers to the Wellington region and Taranaki later today. But it will have weakened to just a few cloudy patches by the time it reaches Auckland in the afternoon.
Auckland was in for a nother fine day, with a high of 27C. Similar weather was forecast about the upper North Island, with Tauranga again forecast to be the pick of the bunch with a high of 30C.
Another front would move onto the lower South Island tonight, eventually reaching the North Island Saturday morning, bringing some showers in the lower half and cooler temperatures throughout the country.
By late Saturday the front would start to clear, leading into a mostly fine weekend for most of the country.
A ridge of high pressure was expected to cover much of northern and central New Zealand through to Tuesday, while a few weakening fronts skirted southern New Zealand.
A moist northwest flow would develop over southern New Zealand on Tuesday, ahead of an approaching front.
Meanwhile, category 2 Tropical Cyclone Oma was continuing to keep Vanuatu on its toes.
The slow-moving cyclone had sustained winds at the centre of 95km/h and the Vanuatu
National Disaster Management Office had issued a red alert for Torba, Sanma, Penama and Malampa provinces.
Malivuk said models showed it tracking southwest in the coming days, and potentially intensifying to category 3 (the highest category is 5).
There was a "low chance" that remnants of the cyclone could reach New Zealand, but that was at least a week away, Malivuk said.
Today's weather
WhangÄrei
Fine apart from cloud morning and night. Southwest breezes. 29C high, 17C overnight.
Auckland
Fine apart from cloud morning and night. Southwesterly breezes. 27C high, 17C overnight.
Hamilton
Chance morning fog, then a fine day. Southwesterly developing in the evening. 29C high, 10C overnight.
Tauranga
Morning and evening cloud, otherwise fine. Light winds and sea breezes. 30C high, 15C overnight.
New Plymouth Partly cloudy. A shower or two around midday as southwesterlies develop. 24C high, 12C overnight.
Napier A fine morning. Cloud increasing and chance shower from afternoon. Light winds and sea breezes. 27C high, 17C overnight.
Whanganui Cloudy and a shower or two around midday, then becoming fine. Westerlies, dying out later. 26C high, 13C overnight.
Wellington A few showers, then becoming fine in the afternoon. Southerlies dying out in the evening. 21C high, 14C overnight.
Nelson Fine. Southwesterlies turning northerly in the afternoon. 24C high, 15C overnight.
Christchurch Morning cloud, then fine. Southwest dying out and northeasterlies developing in the afternoon. 23C high, 12C overnight.
Dunedin High cloud. A few showers from afternoon, more frequent late evening. Northeasterlies develops afternoon, changing southwest at night. 22C high, 10C overnight.
