Raincoats are expected to be needed in the south but Northland holidaymakers are in the right place, as roasting sunshine is set to continue around the region until next week.
MetService forecasts warm northwesters will help to push the mercury well into the 20Cs from Northland through to Auckland, the Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and Hawke's Bay over the next couple of days, while southern parts of New Zealand will be buffeted by gales and heavy rain.
Whangarei is expected to reach 28C with fine but overcast skies today and tomorrow. Showers are forecast for Sunday but the sun will reappear as the temperature drops to 26C on Monday.
The forecasts for Dargaville, Kaitaia and Kerikeri are similar, generally with slightly lower temperatures.
Whangarei Airport reached 26.1C on New Year's Day - the third highest temperature in the country after Hastings on 28.4C and Napier Airport on 27.5C - while Kerikeri recorded the fifth highest, to start the year with 25.5C.
Wellington-based MetService forecaster Mike O'Connor said yesterday that Northland was sticking its head above severe weather affecting southern parts of the country. "Northland is closest to a ridge to the north of the country, so it is getting warm northwesterlies while the rest of the country has unsettled weather."
A front moving up the South Island, with heavy rain on the West Coast and severe gales in places, was expected to weaken as it spread over rest of the country today.
Mr O'Connor said the front was expected to clip the southern part of Northland tomorrow but was unlikely to disrupt the fine weather.
Showers were predicted for Sunday, with slightly cooler southwesterly winds moving in behind the northwesterlies from about noon.
"As Northland is up in a high pressure area, the weather there should be nice on Monday," Mr O'Connor said.