Rain and wind forecast for a wintry long weekend

Heavy rain could cause flooding in Coromandel, BOP, Northland and Hawkes Bay. Photo / Alan Gibson

Queen's Birthday Weekend is forecast to have heavy rain and high winds that may keep many indoors.

Unsettled weather is expected for tomorrow and Sunday in most parts of the country and particularly the North Island.

Heavy rain easing to showers is expected to hit areas including Auckland, the Bay of Plenty, northern Gisborne and down the west coast of the North Island until Sunday.

MetService forecaster Mark Pascoe said the Queen's Birthday anniversary itself, on Monday, would probably be showery, cold and windy in and around Auckland, while people on the West Coast of the South Island would be lucky with fine weather expected over the weekend.

"Places like Hokitika, Greymouth and Milford Sound will be the pick of the bunch - slightly unusual but true," Mr Pascoe said.

Weather Watch analyst Philip Duncan said that the heavy raincould cause flooding in parts of the country, in particular places such as Coromandel, Bay of Plenty, Northland and Hawkes Bay, where recent drenchings had saturated the soil.

Mr Pascoe said the South Island was also expected to get showers and high winds, making for a cold long weekend.

People looking to travel during the are warned to drive to the conditions, with heavy rain and showers raising the risk of road accidents.