Clear skies to continue into the weekend in Whanganui with potential for wetter weather next week

The clear skies of Whanganui this week. Photo / Bevan Conley

The clear skies of Whanganui over much of the past week will continue through the weekend.

But MetService says there is a chance a front moving up the country will land in the North Island early next week, bringing cloudy skies and potentially rain.

MetService meteorologist Tui McInnes said the persistent clear weather over the recent week was caused by the clouds being diverted away.

"If you imagine the South Island, the southwestern tip ... is like a bow on ship," he said.

"The wind is hitting that part of New Zealand first and then spreading out pushing clouds to the north and east - everywhere northeast of Fiordland is very clear."

As well as Whanganui, that included Nelson, Marlborough, Taranaki and Manawatū, McInnes said.

"That [clear weather] won't really be around to stay - it sort of will right through the weekend.".

The southwesterlies would make way to northerlies, he said.

"As we get into the working week we might see cloudier, possibly even wet days.

"That will be a noticeable change in the weather regime compared to what we've seen over the last week."

McInnes said it had been colder than average, but that was to be expected because at night there were no clouds to stop cooling weather.

The persistence of the good weather at this time of year was not very common, McInnes said.

"We're more used to getting fronts and the like during this time of the year."