Severe weather watches have been issued with heavy rain and gales forecast to affect northern parts of New Zealand from Wednesday.

MetService says the upper North Island may have rain reaching warning levels and severe northeasterly gales on Wednesday and Thursday.

Large northeast swells could also bring hazardous conditions to exposed coasts.

Auckland, including Great Barrier Island, and Northland have a heavy rain watch in place, with the latter also having a strong wind watch.

The latest Severe Weather Outlook, valid from Tuesday 3rd to Friday 6th January, has been issued.

Note that the risk areas are for rain and wind exceeding warning thresholds. Other places will also get some rain.

More details at https://t.co/ePtVj8v6Kx ^SG pic.twitter.com/frsmboXpMl

— MetService (@MetService) January 1, 2023

MetService says the subtropical low is forecast to move slowly southwards to lie west of the North Island on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

In addition to the upper North Island, Bay of Plenty, northwest Tasman, Westland south of Otira, and Fiordland could have heavy rainfall later this week.

It was likely additional watches and/or warnings would be issued in the coming days, MetService says.

- RNZ.