Weather: Sunny start to the weekend, but rain expected on Sunday

5 year old Pablo Osmany of Paris, France, enjoys the New Zealand sunshine as he plays in the leaves at Auckland's Victoria Park. Photo / Nick Reed

Fine conditions will welcome in the weekend for most of the country, but rain - sometimes heavy - is forecast to head our way on Sunday.

Temperatures are expected to stay high - in the late teens and early to mid-20s - over the next few days.

It was summery in Auckland yesterday, , where temperatures reached 23.1C.

The hottest place in the country was Hamilton, where the mercury hit 24C, followed by Whakatane on 23.3C, and Kawerau, 23.2C.

Those in the City of Sails will wake up to a sunny Friday, where a temperature high of 22C and overnight low of 14C is expected.

The South Island has a range of temperature highs, ranging from the mid-teens to early 20s.

The MetService has issued a severe weather outlook over some places from tomorrow onwards.

Meteorologist Claire Flynn said a front was due to move over the South Island tomorrow and was expected to weaken as it continued north.

A northwest flow will spread over central and northern New Zealand, and is forecast to strengthen on Sunday.

"There is a low confidence of rainfall accumulations reaching warning criteria over Fiordland during Sunday and Monday, with confidence increasing to moderate for Westland and the Southern Alps during these two days,'' the MetService said.

Significant spill-over was likely in the Otago and Canterbury headwaters.

It will be a fine day in Blenheim today, as temperatures reach 22C.

Christchurch will also see fine conditions, with some high cloud and a high of 23C.

However, further south - in Dunedin and Invercargill - the umbrellas will need to come out as a few spots of rain are forecast.

There was also "moderate confidence'' of heavy rain falling over Buller and the ranges of northwest Nelson early next week.

"Additionally, northwest gales affect most eastern parts of the country during Sunday and Monday and there is moderate confidence of severe northwest gales from Hawke's Bay to Marlborough during this time, with low confidence for the Canterbury High Country.''

FORECAST TODAY:
- Whangarei: High of 22C. Fine, some morning cloud. Southeasterlies dying out.
- Auckland: 22C. Sunny. Southwesterlies developing.
- Tauranga: 23C. Sunny with light winds and sea breezes.
- Hamilton: 23C. Sunny with light winds.
- Palmerston North: Sunny with light winds.
- Wellington: 17C. Sunny. Northerlies developing this morning.
- Nelson: 19C. Fine, some high cloud and light winds.
- Christchurch: 23C. Fine, some high cloud. Northerlies.
- Dunedin: 19C. Few spots of rain. Showers in afternoon.
- Greymouth: 16C. Light rain. Clears to fine breaks in afternoon.
- Queenstown: 21C. High cloud, few spots of morning rain.
- Invercargill: 20C. Few spots early rain.