The Bay of Plenty is in for hot dry week as a high pressure systems dominates New Zealand until Friday.

Temperatures in Tauranga are forecasted to be in the mid to high 20s with a high of 27c today peaking at 28c on Friday and Saturday.

As WeatherWatch has been highlighting since mid-November 2020, the Southern Ocean's weather pattern has been particularly unsettled and this will continue to provide the occasional cool change for the South Island, along with some wet weather.

This week drier than average weather expands across most of the country, the Tasman Sea and much of Australia.

It doesn't look like the usual La Nina set up, except for the heavy rain around some tropical islands to our north and a little in eastern Australia, says WeatherWatch.

On Thursday a low does drop out of the sub-tropics to the north east and brushes East Cape and Gisborne.

It's worth monitoring because it is a sub-tropical low packed with moisture, but it's looking likely that high pressure over New Zealand will guide it east, keeping it mainly or completely out to sea, says WeatherWatch.

Humidity on Friday may see a few afternoon downpours in the South Island.

This Weekend a low brushes the lower South Island then deepens over the Southern Ocean. It may bring gales, rain and a likely temperature drop.

Next week - a repeat performance around next Wednesday with another southern low and another cold injection to the south, but for North Islanders there is a chance of some wet weather next week from this southern system.

Some WeatherWatch modelling suggests high pressure will clear enough to allow rain or some heavy downpours to move in nationwide, from the west.

This is still nine days away so it's definitely not yet locked in, but possible, says WeatherWatch.