Most of the country looks to be in for three or four days of mainly settled weather, but "a period of highly impactful severe weather" is expected early next week, with the arrival of what's left of Tropical Cyclone Gita.

Forecast models were indicating Gita's remnants were likely to cross the North Island, probably on Tuesday, MetService meteorologist Stephen Glassey says early Thursday.

It was too early to say where in New Zealand the heaviest rain and strongest gales would be.

MetService is warning that as Gita crosses the country from the northwest it will bring a period of highly impactful severe weather.

#CycloneGita
MetService have issued a blog with the history & future track of #TCGITA. You can find it at https://t.co/YEkMGeFMG0
This system will likely impact New Zealand early next week, but there is considerable uncertainly regarding the track as it approaches us. ^Lisa pic.twitter.com/D2m1SwozxY

— MetService (@MetService) February 14, 2018

But before then much of the country has at least three days of settled, and often fine, weather. For many places the benign spell is expected to last through Sunday.

Unfortunately for Northland and Auckland, drying out after a wet week, conditions are forecast to start deteriorating on Sunday. For the next three days though, the top of the country is looking good.

On Thursday, MetService expects Auckland to be sunny with light winds and a high of 26 degrees Celsius.

Most of the North Island is expected to be mainly fine on Thursday, although it could be cloudy in the southwest.

The top of the South Island and Canterbury are also forecast to be fine, but rain is expected in the west of the South Island and showers are possible in Otago and Southland.

The west and south of the South Island aren't expected be as settled as the rest of the country during the next few days.

Early Thursday a front was approaching the southwest of the country, and there is a risk of heavy rain in the west on Friday and Saturday.

On Thursday, Wellington is expected to be fine after morning cloud, with a high of 23C and northerlies.

Christchurch is also expected to be fine after morning cloud, with a high of 28C.

Like much of the rest of the east of the country it is in for several warm days, with highs of 30C predicted for Friday and Saturday, then 28C again on Sunday.

Next week is expected to be much cooler with the arrival of southerlies.

The southeast of the North Island could get the best of the settled spell, with four sunny warm days forecast, getting to 30C at times.

- Stuff