It's been a cold and frosty week for much of New Zealand but heading into the long weekend we will see a change.

Low pressure returns to the north bringing some wetter but warmer weather to the North Island.

'Clear skies and light winds this week have been perfect conditions for a frost for much of New Zealand,” says Metservice meteorologist John Law says,

'However, it's a different story this weekend as the high pressure is replaced by more active weather returning from the north Tasman Sea.”

Rain is back in the forecast for the North Island this weekend, with the potential for some heavier falls and strong winds from Northland to the Bay of Plenty and around to northern Gisborne.

Meanwhile, dry weather is set to persist in the far south and west of the South Island.

'Looking ahead into the weekend rain creeps into the Far North on Saturday and moves across the North Island during Sunday,” says Law,

'By Monday, it's generally a cloudier looking day with spells of rain over the North Island and the east of the South Island, with the chance of some heavier rain returning to the Kaikoura Coast.”

Temperatures across the North Island will be milder.

'Although the weekend is looking cloudier and wetter it will do wonders for our overnight minimums on the North Island,” comments Law.

'For example, Hamilton sees it's minimums change from around -2C to 10C this weekend”

For the extra day of the long weekend the pick of the places to be will be on the South Island, especially in the far south or on the West Coast.

'Westland and Southland should keep hold of some fine weather this weekend, although temperatures in the south are still likely to be just below freezing through the nights, ' says Law.