Mainly sunny, mild, weather is covering the nation this afternoon under high air pressure. 

For many mowing lawns today daisies are starting to flower as the early spring weather continues.

Many places across the North Island are around the 14 and 15 degree mark but the range spreads from around 10 to 16.    In the South Island Dunedin has taken the top spot this hour with 17 degrees under a warm northerly.   But a series of 12s run along the east coast north of Otago.

A developing low in the northern Tasman Sea coupled with the high over the country drifting to the south east has seen winds build over the top half of the North Island.  Near gale easterlies are blowing across Cape Reinga with gusts around 75km/h.  In Auckland winds have picked up today after a calm week with easterlies gusting to 40km/h.

A similar strength northerly is also affecting Wellington and Dunedin.

Winds are expected to build across Auckland and Northland over the next 48 hours. 

Much of next week will see strong east to north east winds over the upper North Island and strong northerlies over lower parts of the South Island.