Forecasters say two more days of sun remain before the rain returns

More rain, forecast for later on in the week, is the last thing waterlogged Edgecumbe needs. Photo/ John Borren

Put your washing out to dry while you still can, the weekend break in the rain won't last and wet weather is forecast to return by midweek.

A ridge of high pressure bringing sun and dry weather to most parts of the country will be replaced by a low which will bring more rain on Wednesday.

MetService meteorologist Claire Flynn said some parts of the country, including the west coast of the South Island, would receive some rain as early as Tuesday, but the bulk of the country would be hit on Wednesday.

A low coming from across the Tasman would bring associated fronts which would turn to rain, she said.

"Wednesday is when we'll be feeling the main effects of that low."

Severe weather outlooks were in place for parts of the waterlogged North Island, with low confidence of warning amounts of rainfall affecting Northland, Auckland and the Bay of Plenty by Thursday.

Similar warnings were in place for Taranaki, Nelson, Marlborough and North Canterbury.

Flynn said people should check back in as the week wore on to see how the severe outlooks were tracking.

For the already saturated Bay of Plenty, more rain was the last thing locals need.

Water levels have dropped in the flood-ravaged town of Edgecumbe, however the town remains on high alert for more rain.

Approximately 1600 evacuees are left not knowing when they will be allowed home.

Today would be fine around the country and the ridge bringing the nice weather would stick around for most of tomorrow too, Flynn said.

"The main thing is we've got a few showers around the likes of Gisborne, Northland and Coromandel Peninsula."

In the South Island the forecast was again mostly fine, but tomorrow some rain would be coming into the southwest.

Today's forecast

• Whangarei: Cloudy periods, a few showers. Fresh easterlies. 21C
• Auckland: Cloudy periods, the odd shower from late afternoon. Fresh easterlies. 21C
• Hamilton: Fine, with variable high cloud. Light winds. 20C
• Tauranga: Fine, with variable high cloud. Easterly breezes. 20C
• Wellington: Fine, with some high cloud. Light winds. 17C
• Christchurch: Fine, some cloud developing evening. Northeasterly breezes. 17C
• Greymouth: Fine, apart from morning and evening cloud. Light winds. 18C
• Queenstown: Fine, with variable high cloud. Light winds. 18C