Settled, fine day for most of the country

Another great day is in store for the country as the working week ends on a sunny note.

MetService duty forecaster Hannah Moes said fine weather stretched across most of New Zealand with just a few showers at either end.

After a brisk start temperatures should warm to the late teens and early 20s with blue skies above.

"The very tip and the very bottom will see a few showers. Apart from that it'll be a settled fine day for most of the country," she said.

Auckland could expect a sunny 21C and Wellington 17C.

After a nippy 3C start, Queenstown would enjoy a fine 18C and Dunedin 17C.

As for the weekend, the outlook for northern and southern New Zealand is far more gloomy.

Ms Moes said wet weather would spread from Northland down across north eastern parts of the island.

While Saturday still looked to be nice for most regions the rain would start falling on Auckland and Coromandel overnight Saturday into Sunday.

By Sunday it would have spread down to eastern areas including the Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and Taupo.

The rain would ease over the far north and Auckland regions over the day.

There was the possibility of heavy showers as the wet weather moved south.

At the same time a weakening front would move up the South Island over the weekend bringing rain to southern areas reaching Christchurch and Buller on Sunday.

The best weather was reserved for central New Zealand which would be mostly fine, she said.