Weather: What to expect today

A brief rainy spell will cross most of the North Island. Photo / Doug Sherring

Damp and dreary weather plaguing most of the North Island is expected to clear overnight, giving way to a dry spell before the weekend.

A rain band has travelled up the country today, bringing strong northerlies and heavy rain to parts of the North Island.

The hardest hit have been Mount Taranaki and the Tararua Ranges, where a heavy rain warning is in place - with each area seeing up to 100 millimetres of rain in the last 24 hours.

MetService meteorologist Stephen Glassey said Auckland had been lucky so far but might see a period of heavier rain tonight.

But it was set to ease by tomorrow, he said.Wellington had also escaped the worst of the rain and the skies in the capital were already clearing, he said.

"There might be a period of heavier rain [in Auckland] this evening as the front moves over but it's not going to be warning amounts or anything like that. The rain is actually clearing after that.

"In Wellington it's still wet outside but it's just drizzling."

A ridge of high pressure should bring settled weather to much of the country tomorrow and on Thursday - but there might be more rain on the way for some this weekend.

"There's some rain developing in the west and south of the South Island on Friday, that moves across the whole country on Saturday," Mr Glassey said.

WeatherWatch said today's heaviest rain would be in western areas of the North Island, with most South Island regions clearing.

Head weather analyst Philip Duncan said areas of heavy rain and isolated gusts might also plague the country as spring kicks off next Tuesday.

Two lows causing the rain could bring intense "pockets" of weather at times next week, he said.

"The two lows means spring will kick off mild for many areas, although by next weekend the Tasman Sea low may bring in a brief cool southerly for the South Island," Mr Duncan said.