Occasional rain or showers, with light winds. This is the forecast from the MetService for the Bay of Plenty.

Rain is also in the forecast for the next four to five days.

The weather system that did so much damage in the southwest of the country earlier in the week, is dropping some rain in the north and east of the country early Thursday.

"At the moment it's right over the top of the North Island, from about Northland to Taupo/Hawke's Bay," MetService meteorologist Micky Malivuk said about 5am. "Everywhere else is pretty much clear.

"It's raining in Northland, Auckland, northern Waikato, Bay of Plenty, but the front will gradually weaken away, then sink southward again later[Thursday]."

That would mean some rain for the central North Island area, but the South Island would be clear for the next couple of days, says Micky.

On Friday, a moist east to northeast flow lies over the country, and a slow moving trough embedded in this flow is expected to lie across the central North Island.

There is low confidence of Warning amounts of rain for the ranges of northern Hawke's Bay and the ranges of Gisborne south of Manutuke.

On Saturday, the flow tends northerly ahead of an active front forecast to move across the country from the west during Sunday and Monday.

This front is preceded by a warm, moist and strong northerly flow, then is followed by a change to relatively cool southwesterlies, says the MetService.

-Additional reporting from Stuff.co.nz