High pressure sitting over the country will bring dry and sunny weather to most areas this weekend, including the Bay of Plenty.

But while daytime temperatures will be pleasant, the MetService warns there are a few chilly nights on the way.

Some cooler nights are on the cards this weekend.

In the lead-up to the weekend, the strong, cold south-west flow over the country will slowly ease today and into Friday, as a ridge of high pressure over the Tasman Sea edges eastwards.

Winds are now slowly abating after a gusty spell around southern and eastern coasts, says meteorologist Emma Blades.

By the weekend, high pressure will dominate the New Zealand weather map, bringing blue skies and lights winds for many, with the rough seas about the eastern coastal regions easing on Friday.

Clear skies will allow the sun to bring the temperatures into the high teens for most on Saturday and Sunday.

'The warmest places are expected to be Hawke's Bay and Northland, where we are forecasting a relatively balmy 20C for this time of year,” says Emma.

'On the flipside, the starry nights do mean that all that daytime heat is going to escape back into space, causing temperatures to drop significantly once the sun goes down.”

Temperatures in the Bay are expected to remain about the 18 degree mark during the day, but will drop down to around 9 or 10 degrees at night.

Fortunately, the temperatures will pick up again next week, as a warmer flow heads our way from across the Tasman Sea.

This moist air will bring some rain to western parts of the country towards the middle of next week.