The first week back from school holidays is off to a fine and dry start as a large anticyclone sits across the country.

The MetService is reporting fine weather for today and tomorrow in Tauranga with rain creeping in on Thursday.

The rain is expected to hang around Tauranga until next week.

'We're in the middle of a spell of fine weather with a nice winter high across the country, but if you're in northern New Zealand keep a raincoat handy for the end of the week,” says MetService media and communications meteorologist Dan Corbett.

'A sub-topical low is expected to bring a spell of wet and windy weather across northern areas during Thursday, with easterly gales and heavy rain possible for exposed parts of Northland, Auckland and Coromandel.”