A wet start but the sun will come

Rain was expected in much of the North Island including Auckland today. Photo / Doug Sherring

Holiday-makers may want to consider holding off their Labour weekend camping plans until Christmas as the North Island will have a wet start to the long weekend, forecasters say.

Rain was expected in much of the North Island including Auckland today, MetService meteorologist Peter Little said.

"There'll be a decent period of rain with the possibility of heavy falls as well," he said.

"It's been dry for some time in the North Island so I imagine gardeners will welcome the rain, but holiday-makers may want to reconsider packing the camping gear, and will need to allow extra time on the road."

A low-pressure system will move across the North Island this afternoon and evening. However, it will move away on Sunday, leaving mostly fine weather for the rest of the weekend.

"If you're planning a day out in Auckland, Monday will be the best day to do it," Mr Little said. "Northwesterlies will pick up ahead of the front, bringing quite pleasant temperatures around the mid-teens."

People leaving the city should aim to stay off the roads mid-afternoon, according to data from previous holiday breaks.

"We know that traffic is heaviest heading north on State Highway 1 between Puhoi and Kawakawa from mid-afternoon on Friday and again on Saturday morning, and then returning south again from 10am on Monday morning," said Brett Gliddon, New Zealand Transport Agency Auckland highways manager.

"It's also busy heading south out of Auckland on SH1 from midday on Friday until around 8pm and then again on Saturday from about 9am, and picks up again heading north to Auckland from lunchtime on Monday through until 7pm."

Meanwhile, the South Island will have a mostly pleasant weekend weather-wise.

"There's another front coming across the South Island which will bring quite warm weather to eastern areas," Mr Little said.

WeatherWatch.co.nz is predicting some patchy morning rain moving into Southland, Otago and West Coast on Sunday morning.

Northwesterlies will build across the South Island on Monday, raising temperatures in the east and inland.