The Bay of Plenty is in for another unsettled couple of days, with heavy rain and strengthening winds expected before conditions ease heading into the weekend.

In a media release, MetService said a deep low-pressure system moving across the country today is bringing widespread rain and strong winds, with watches and warnings in place for some areas until early this weekend.

For the Bay of Plenty, Friday is forecast to bring occasional rain, which could be heavy at times, before skies clear later in the evening.

Southeasterlies are expected to turn to strong southwesterlies for a period through the morning and afternoon, the weather organisation said on its website.

The wet and windy spell follows earlier heavy rain warnings for parts of the region, with intense downpours raising the risk of surface flooding, slips and hazardous driving conditions.

While the worst of the damaging gales is expected further south, forecasters say a surge of cold southerly air pushing up the country will still be felt across the BoP, bringing a noticeable drop in temperatures.

Meteorologist Michael Pawley said conditions should begin to settle as the system moves away.

“Conditions will ease this weekend as the low-pressure system departs to the east of us,” Pawley said.

By Saturday, the Bay is expected to turn fine under a southerly wind flow, with calmer weather continuing into Sunday with partly cloudy skies.

The clearer conditions are forecast to extend into early next week, with cloud clearing on Monday morning and the weather becoming fine again as southerlies persist.

Despite the improving outlook, lingering showers are expected to remain about eastern parts of the North Island through the weekend.

Across the country, the southerly change is also dragging in much colder air, with snow lowering to about 1100m in parts of the southern North Island overnight and to 400m in parts of the South Island.