Grim weather to stick around until the weekend

Heavy rain is expected in parts of the North Island later today. Photo / Doug Sherring

Grim weather is expected for much of the country until at least this weekend.

MetService said in parts of the North Island, heavy rain was expected later today and people should watch out for surface flooding.

MetService forecasters expect a front moving across New Zealand to slow down for a time from Northland to the eastern Bay of Plenty, before moving south this afternoon.

"The heaviest rain is expected to be about the ranges of Bay of Plenty east of Whakatane, where 90 to 120mm may accumulate from this evening until tomorrow afternoon," MetService said.

Weather conditions were highly volatile at the moment and other parts of the North Island could also be at risk of a drenching in days ahead.

"This is a developing situation and there is the potential for high-impact severe weather during the next few days," MetService added.