Severe gales are being forecast for the Bay of Plenty this weekend.

It has been a wet start to the school holidays, but the MetService is predicting fine weather today with the possibility of showers on Thursday afternoon.

Looking ahead, the weather organisation says unsettled weather is forecast for New Zealand.

"An active trough embedded in this flow is expected to affect the country on Friday and Saturday, then the flow turns northwest over southern New Zealand on Sunday ahead of another trough over the Tasman Sea.

"There is moderate confidence of severe westerly gales for the Tararua District and Hawke's Bay south of Cape Kidnappers on Friday plus Saturday morning, and low confidence of severe westerly gales returning on Sunday."

On Saturday, the MetService says there is moderate confidence of severe west to southwest gales for Northland, Great Barrier Island, Auckland, Waikato, Coromandel Peninsula and western Bay of Plenty.

"There is also moderate confidence of severe southwest gales for Mahia Peninsula and near the coast of Tairawhiti/Gisborne.

"On Sunday, there is low confidence of severe northwest gales for Southland, Stewart Island and Clutha."