Only one more weekend before Christmas and it's going to be a sunny one

This weekend will see sun and relatively high temperatures throughout the coutnry. Photo/ George Novak

Crank up the barbecue and remember to slip slop slap and wrap, it's going to be a sunny one this weekend.

Fine weather is forecast for most of the country over the next few days, with showers only making an appearance in lower parts of the country late on Sunday.

Showers on the West Coast of the South Island would start to clear today, making way for a weekend of high temperatures and sunny weather.

"Looking into the weekend, most of the country is looking nice and sunny apart from Fiordland," said MetService meteorologist Nicole Ranger.

Ranger said people should make the most of their sunny weekend before a front brought rain on Sunday evening.

"On Sunday, a front starts to move up the South Island and there will be a few showers in the east of the South Island throughout the day.

"That front makes it to Wellington late Sunday, meaning a little bit of rain late in the day."

A watch remained in place today for westerly winds on Stewart Island and coastal areas in the South Island such as Southland and Clutha, Ranger said.

As for the heat, temperatures were looking "pretty normal for this time of year".

A lot of places would hit temperatures in the low 20Cs and high teens, she said.

Today's forecast

Whangarei: Sunny, but some morning cloud. Southwesterlies. High 22C Low 12C

Auckland: Sunny, apart from morning cloud. Southwesterlies. High 20C Low 13C

Hamilton: Sunny, apart from morning cloud. Southwesterlies. High 20C Low 6C

Tauranga: Sunny with a high of 22C, low 11C

New Plymouth: Sunny, apart from morning cloud. Southwesterlies. High 18C Low 10C

Napier: Sunny. Westerlies, then afternoon sea breezes. High 25C 10C

Wellington: A sunny day with northerlies. High 18C 13C

Nelson: Sunny with southwesterlies. High 20C Low 10C

Christchurch: Sunny. Northwest tends northeast for a time. High 23C Low 8C

Queenstown: Sunny. Breezy westerlies dying out. High 17C Low 7C

Dunedin: A sunny day. Westerlies easing afternoon. High 19C Low 10C