A severe weather watch has been issued for northern New Zealand including Coromandel, Auckland and Northland, as winds are expected to reach severe gales at times this weekend.

MetService media and communications meteorologist Dan Corbett says there will also be a significant risk of squally, thundery weather in northern and western areas as a front moves through.

Strong winds are being predicted for the weekend.

An active spring westerly flow will keep weather systems coming across the country.

High winds are predicted for Northland, Auckland and Coromandel Peninsula, from the northwest on Friday evening, and then southwest early Saturday.

The MetService is predicting showers for tomorrow and Saturday in Tauranga with Sunday expected to be fine. Showers are expected to return on Monday.

Temperatures in Tauranga will remain the same with daily highs around 20 degrees and overnight lows about 10 degrees.

'This weather will certainly have an active spring flavour over the next few days,” says Dan.

'You will almost need a scorecard to keep track of the numerous weather systems passing though.”

Dan says the first weather system will bring a brief spell of heavy rain to parts of the South Island before moving to the rest of the country tomorrow.

'A low will bring another round of wet and windy weather late Friday into the first part of the weekend. 'This passing low will deepen quickly as it slides across central New Zealand early Saturday bringing a bout of very strong north-westerly winds that will shift around to south-westerly by early Saturday.”

Sunday might be drier as a high builds down from the north.

Monday will bring yet another active low with strong north-westerlies and spells of rain moving across the country.