Wet and wild weekend weather predicted for North Island

File photo / Dean Purcell

Watch out North Islanders, a wet and wild weekend is on its way.

After almost a week of fairly calm and mild conditions, the weather is about to take a turn for the worse, with wind and cooler temperatures expected in many places.

A low from Australia was crossing the Tasman Sea quickly and due to hit the upper North Island on Saturday, bringing heavy rain and strong winds, forecasters said.

"The trough crossing the country early on Thursday is quite dynamic," said MetService meteorologist Daniel Corbett.

"With it comes a change to strong cool southwesterlies. To some, it will feel cold."

Saturday was likely to bring wind and rain to many places as the low crosses the North Island, he said.

WeatherWatch.co.nz head weather analyst Philip Duncan agreed the "rapidly deepening low" over the weekend would bring stormy weather to much of the north, in particular the Gisborne region.

"Despite the wet and windy weather likely in many northern regions on Saturday, the strengthening south east flow may well create sunny weather for many places in the north and west on Sunday...it just depends how much cloud cover pushes westwards from the low," he said.

"Windiest places are likely to be from Taranaki to Gisborne with the heavy rain pushing in from the west on Saturday and setting in to the east on Sunday."

The low may linger for a couple of days and then drift slowly eastwards over the Pacific Ocean, said Mr Duncan.

The storm is unlikely to have much of an impact on the South Island but could bring some wind and brief showers to northern areas, he said.