What is the weather doing this week?

A ridge of high pressure is expected to cover most of the country today, bringing fine and calm weather until Friday for most areas. File photo

Put your brolly away for a couple of days - a high settled over the country is set to give most of the country a "breather" from the rain, forecasters say.

A ridge of high pressure is expected to cover most of the country today, bringing fine and calm weather until Friday for most areas.

Weather Watch head analyst Philip Duncan said many areas - including Auckland - would see sunny days possibly right through to Sunday.

The next significant weather system would bring slow-moving wind and showers or rain to the west coast of the South Island on Friday.

It was expected to edge its way north and reach Auckland by the end of the weekend, he said.

"It's a much quieter week this week for everybody, it's a bit of a breather.

"A lot of the main centres are pretty dry all week. Any showers today will clear, most are sunny already. The high's pretty much here," he said.

There would still be a chill at night, however, with a lack of cloud cover meaning a dip in temperatures and frosty mornings for sheltered areas.

But it would not be as bad as the cold snap earlier this month, Mr Duncan said.

"Who knows what August is going to hold, it's a surprising month. It can be warm and it can be freezing. It can go either way sometimes.

"But as far as July's concerned, we may have seen the more dramatic side already."

The strong, cold southwest flow currently causing a nip in the air should ease tomorrow as the ridge moves in from the west, MetService said.

Strong southwesterlies on the east coast were expected to slowly ease today and Wednesday.

A few showers could dampen spirits on the east coast of the North Island and in the south of the South Island before the weekend but most of the country should be in the clear, MetService said.

It expected heavier showers and rain for Fiordland and Westland on Friday as the trough approaches the west of the South Island.

Today's forecast:

Whangarei: Sunny day, cloudy evening. High 15C

Auckland: Sunny day and cloudy at night. High 14C

Hamilton: Fine. High 14C

Tauranga: Fine. High 14C

Wellington: Showers in afternoon, strong winds with 90km/h gusts. High 11C

Christchurch: Fine start, cloudy at times. High 12C

Queenstown: Fine, morning cloud. High 10C

Dunedin: Cloudy periods, chance of shower. High 11C

Tomorrow's forecast:

Whangarei: Mainly fine. High 16C

Auckland: Mainly fine. High 15C

Hamilton: Fine with light winds. High 15C

Tauranga: Fine. High 16C

Wellington: Showers clearing, then dry spells. High 12

Christchurch: Cloudy. High 13C

Queenstown: Fine. 10C

Dunedin: Morning cloud, then fine. High 13C