This weekend marks the start of a series of fine, hot, days in Manawatu that will stretch all the way into next weekend.

Temperatures in Palmerston North will reach the mid-twenties this weekend with next week to be even hotter.

''Get your sunglasses and your sunscreen ready it's looking lovely,'' MetService meteorologist Daniel Corbett said.

''It's a nice looking weekend to say 'come on kids lets go to the beach'.''

Today temperatures had reached 21 degrees and this weekend people could ''add a couple of degrees each day to the temperature''.

Saturday's high was projected to be 24 degrees with Sunday reaching 26. Days next week would be even warmer with temperatures at or above 28 degrees predicted from Monday through until Sunday.

''If you look at our five or ten day forecast you'd think we're run out of sun symbols,'' Mr Corbett said.

The extended stretch of fine, settled weather was thanks to a high sitting over the North Island.

While most weather systems made their way across the country the high had ''thrown out the sandbags'' and stalled over the North Island he said.

''The high more or less just sits in place.''

- © Fairfax NZ News

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