Much of the cooler, drier weather experienced in Tauranga this week is set to continue this weekend as a ridge of high pressure builds across the country from the Tasman Sea.

Temperatures in Tauranga are set to drop to around five degrees tonight.

Overnight lows in Tauranga are predicted to plummet to five degrees tonight, slowly rising to around 10 degrees come Monday.

Daily highs are sitting around the 18 degree mark.

MetService meteorologist John Law says the weekend look settled for many parts of the country.

'Clear, cold nights are on the cards for some spots, especially for tonight and overnight Friday into Saturday. Clear skies and light winds are great conditions for temperatures to quickly drop away once the sun sets.

'The North Island can expect to wake up to some colder temperatures on Saturday, especially for the likes of the Central Plateau, Waikato and Wairarapa.”