Heavy rain and high winds will buffet much of the country today and over the weekend, forecasters say.
Severe gales were possible for Wellington, the Marlborough Sounds, Northland and Taranaki today while heavy rain could hit the eastern Waikato.
Heavy rain was also forecast for Northland, the Coromandel Peninsula and the Tararua Range.
MetService forecaster Heath Gullery said the weather was the result of an active front was expected to move slowly eastwards across much of New Zealand during today, Saturday and early Sunday.
The front was expected to bring heavy rain, and strong to gale northerlies, to western and northern regions.
NZPA