Showers are expected to creep in across the Tauranga today as a persistent northwest flow moves across the country.

Most of the country is being warned to expect heavy rain and strong winds but there are no warnings in place to Tauranga or the wider Bay of Plenty.

Rain is expected in the Bay of Plenty today, tomorrow and Sunday.

The MetService is forecasting showers for today, tomorrow and Sunday, with the sun set to return on Monday.

Meteorologist John Law says the weather pattern is very reluctant to change as New Zealand sandwiched between an intense high and very low pressures.

Heavy rain is likely in many west and northern parts of the North Island and there is high confidence that rainfall warnings will be in place on Sunday for the Tararua Range, Mount Taranaki and the central North Island hill-country west of Lake Taupo.

The MetService warns there is moderate confidence that a rainfall warning will also be needed for the eastern Bay of Plenty ranges on Sunday.

The weekend sees a return to cooler temperatures as a southerly change races back up the country, bringing with it some periods of heavier rain as it crosses New Zealand.

'The weekend looks like one where we all see some rain, and a return to snow about the hills in the South Island.

'Heading into Sunday the main rain band will move steadily northwards, leaving some brighter, drier weather in the far south.”