Bay of Plenty residents are in for a wet start to Friday and a windy weekend as a cold front pushes north, bringing overnight rain, cooler temperatures and strong southwesterlies.

The front, which brought snow and chilly conditions to parts of the South Island on Thursday, is forecast to reach the North Island late on Thursday afternoon and evening, spreading rain across much of the region overnight.

MetService meteorologist Devlin Lynden said in a media release that unsettled conditions would continue through the weekend as another weather system moves across New Zealand.

“Friday will see rain lingering across northern and eastern parts of the North Island, but there will also be plenty of fine weather elsewhere. The weekend keeps the unsettled trend going, with strong southwesterly winds and showers across the country.”

For Bay of Plenty, that means a damp start to Friday before conditions gradually improve later in the day, with periods of sunshine expected to develop.

The reprieve will be short-lived, however. A strong southwesterly flow is expected to develop on Saturday, bringing cooler temperatures, fresh winds and scattered showers to much of the region.

Strong winds are forecast across many parts of New Zealand over the weekend as the pressure gradient tightens, while showers are expected to continue into Sunday before easing later in the day.

Despite the unsettled spell, fine breaks are likely at times, offering some opportunities for outdoor activities.

Lynden said spring weather remained highly changeable.

“Spring in New Zealand is well known for throwing a bit of everything at us, and the next few days are no exception. It’s worth keeping an eye on the forecast if you have outdoor plans this weekend.”