Stay out of the water until a tropical low - that could bring swells as high as four metres to Northland - clears this weekend, MetService warns.
Businesses and residents located close to the foreshore along Northland's east coast were due to face the brunt of swells this morning that would gradually rise from 2 metres to as high as 4m.
MetService and the region's harbour master have also warned people to secure their boats as the tropical low in the Tasman Sea is expected to dump up to 100mm of rain and wind gusts of 100km/h in parts of Northland.
Showers are forecast tomorrow and Saturday and the sun should be out from Sunday onwards.
MetService said Northlanders shouldn't look too far ahead, but prepare for the tropical low that was expected to bring severe gales gusting of 120km/h in exposed areas between 2am and 10am today.