Weekend weather: Grab some rays before a big wet arrives

A front crossing the country later on Sunday will bring heavy rain and windy conditions with it in some places. Photo / 123rf

Try to make the most of half decent weather at the weekend - because rain is due to blow in on Sunday night.

Mixed conditions will continue this evening and into tomorrow across the North Island. But a front crossing the country later on Sunday will bring heavy rain and windy conditions to some places.

"Auckland will see cloud thickening by Saturday afternoon with rain expected at night," MetService analyst Tuporo Marsters said. "On Sunday there will be showers in the morning but these are expected to clear later in the afternoon.

"However the rain will be back at night with a strong northerly ahead of it."

The hottest place to be this weekend is Napier, where temperatures will top 27C on Sunday - but again it is expected to be wet.

"We have heavy rain warnings in place for tomorrow on the West Coast and Nelson," Marsters said.

About 20mm of much-needed rain is predicted for Northland tomorrow night but this should clear by Sunday lunchtime.

On Sunday the wet conditions will continue in most places, possibly heavy at first followed by a few showers, with fine breaks for some.

A deep low crossing the South Island brings gale-force northerlies to exposed places on its eastern side, and will be briefly followed by gale or severe gale southwesterlies over the South Island.

On Monday the rain will ease and the North Island will see cloudy periods in the west, with a few showers from Taranaki to Wellington and also Wairarapa.

"It should be mainly fine elsewhere," Marsters added.