It might pay to keep the umbrella close by over the next few days, with rain set to replace sunshine and warm temperatures as the week progresses.

The Metservice forecasts a weak ridge of high pressure situated across much of New Zealand at the beginning of the week, while a series of fronts move across the lower South Island.

Rain is predicted for the Bay of Plenty later this week. Photo: File.

A few weak troughs may bring showery weather to the North Island later in the week, while the ridge builds again over the South Island.

For the North Island, light winds and generally fine weather start the week as a ridge of high pressure remains in place. However, as the ridge weakens over the northern part of the country from mid-week, a few more showers can be expected.

The sun is predicted to make way for developing showers in Tauranga on Wednesday before rain takes hold for the remainder of the working week. Highs of between 24 and 26 degrees are still expected.

It is looking very similar further down the coast in Whakatane, with the rain making its way in mid-week with highs of 24 or 25 degrees.

Over the South Island, a weak front moving onto the southwest brings a few showers, but they're largely confined to the west and far south.

'The weekend saw a return to much more active weather across New Zealand,” says MetService meteorologist John Law.

'This week it looks like we are still likely to find a few more showers creeping northwards across the South Island, but not nearly as much rain as we saw at the end of last week.”

While it is late in the tropical cyclone season, a low shows signs of development northeast of Vanuatu and the situation is worth monitoring if you are headed to the Pacific Islands.

Although at the moment the system is forecast to remain north of New Zealand, MetService meteorologists will continue to keep an eye on the system through the week.

'The forecasting team will be paying extra close attention to the tropics this week and will be liaising with their counterparts from the Fiji Meteorological Service,” says John.