An anticyclone covers most of New Zealand on Thursday bringing mainly settled weather.

Mainly sunny for the North Island on Thursday, some cloud in the east with patchy morning drizzle about Gisborne.

For the South Island morning cloud in the west with the chance of a light shower then sunny areas increasing from afternoon. Elsewhere over the South Island expect sunny areas and some high cloud.

By Weather Analyst Aaron Wilkinson – WeatherWatch.co.nz