Fine start for North Island and wet start for South Island

It will be a fine morning in the North Island for many today before showers move over northern parts of the island in the afternoon.

It will be the opposite for the South Island which will have a rainy start on the east coast before becoming fine in the afternoon.

"A pretty decent day for Auckland and Northland. There will be some cloud around and some showers but they will be pretty few and far between," MetService meteorologist Angus Hines said.

"On the east coast, another mostly cloudy day for Gisborne with some morning showers there will be some afternoon sunny spells there as well."

Southern Taranaki to Paraparaumu would have pleasant conditions aside from some morning cloud before becoming fine.

It will also be a cloudy start for the capital, Hines said.

In the South Island, it would pay to keep your umbrella at the ready for east coast areas with cloudy conditions expected to bring some rain before becoming fine.

It comes ahead of forecasted heavy rain and gale force winds over the weekend for much of the country.

MetService said a broad low over the Tasman Sea was expected to approach the North Island today before moving southeast over the country through Friday and Sunday.

The front was expected to spread northeasterlies and rain over most of the country, with the heaviest rain falling in northern areas of both islands.

There was high confidence, a 60 per cent chance, that rainfall amount would reach warning criteria in northern areas about Gisborne, Bay of Plenty, and the Coromandel Peninsula, MetService said.

There was also a moderate risk of rainfall amount reaching warning criteria about Northland, Auckland and Great Barrier Island from Friday to Saturday.

"There is a moderate confidence of northeasterlies approaching gale strength, which is significant for the region, about exposed parts of Northland, Auckland, Coromandel Peninsula and Waikato from late Friday to Saturday."

Kia ora NZ, here are your maximum temperatures today. Cool along the eastern S.I in cloud and showers. Warmer elsewhere, but warmest in the north. Fine in the west, and sunny in the south. ^PN pic.twitter.com/iqR4kSfJdw

— MetService (@MetService) November 28, 2018

The northeast winds and rain should ease over the country on late Sunday and Monday but showers will persist in many places.

Some showers could become heavy with isolated thunderstorms, MetService said.

Your weather

Whangārei: Fine spells, chance heavy shower from afternoon. Light winds. High 24C Low 16C

Auckland: Fine spells. Chance heavy afternoon shower. Light winds. High 23C Low 16C

Tauranga: Fine spells. A few afternoon showers, possibly heavy and thundery. Light winds. High 23C Low 16C

Whanganui: Fine. Southeasterlies. High 22C Low 12C

Napier: Showers gradually easing, and a few afternoon fine breaks. Southerlies dying out evening. High 20C Low 14C

Wellington: Cloudy periods, chance morning shower. Southerlies. High 17C Low 12C

Christchurch: Drizzle clearing in the morning, and fine breaks from afternoon. Easterly breezes. High 16C Low 9C

Dunedin: Cloudy, possibly morning drizzle. Fine breaks from afternoon. Freshening northeasterlies. High 15C Low 12C

Source: MetService