Most of the North Island and parts of the South are in for a wet and windy long weekend.
This MetService map shows the winds expected at 11pm tonight. Photo: Twitter / MetService
MetService meteorologist Claire Flynn said a band of rain, currently sitting over Northland, would be gradually making its way down the country today and tomorrow. A severe thunderstorm watch is currently in place for Northland.
"For those eastern areas - Northland, Auckland, Coromandel, Bay of Plenty it's going to be gradually spreading out over these parts over the weekend," she said.
A heavy rain warning is also in place for Northland, and a watch is on Auckland north of Orewa, Great Barrier Island, Coromandel Peninsula and Bay of Plenty west of Whakatane including Rotorua, and the Kaimai Range.
Gale-force winds were also expected for some parts of the North Island.
"[A watch] is in place for Northland and also exposed parts of Auckland, through today until tomorrow morning. Those gales could approach warning criteria."
The wind and rain was expected to make its way down the country slowly, reaching Wellington and the top of the South Island by tomorrow.
Ms Flynn said in the South, weather was expected to remain mostly fine, but cold.
"There's certainly been some very chilly temperatures overnight, Mount Cook village got to negative seven degrees overnight, Lumsden got to negative 5.7, Dunedin airport got down to negative 5.5."
She said a high pressure system and very little wind meant clear skies and frosts.
"If there's wind it can help mix up the air and it can actually make it a little bit warmer, but when it's really still in the mornings and overnight it can get very cold and that's what's been happening down there and that trend is set to continue."