Ferris said westerly winds would continue into Sunday as more rain crosses the southern half of the North Island.
“On Monday, we will see the potential for some very strong winds and heavy rain,” he said.
“People heading away from home will need to keep an eye on the end of the weekend when coming home.
“It is the type of weather that might cause some disruptions.”
Ferris advised those going away to keep an eye on the weather for the second half of the weekend.
“It is the kind of weather that may affect your travels,” he said.
“On Friday and Saturday, for those heading away, as long as they have a rain jacket, they should be able to do most things.”
Advice for motorists on long weekend
Police have warned motorists not to disobey road rules during the long weekend.
Northland road policing manager, Inspector John Fagan, said there have been increasing numbers of serious driving incidents over the past few weeks.
“In Northland alone, we apprehended 38 people driving while intoxicated last week,” he said.
On Saturday night, an off-duty officer called 111 after witnessing a vehicle crossing the centreline and narrowly avoiding a head-on collision.
“Officers responded immediately, and when they located this vehicle, it was seen almost crashing into another car,” Fagan said.
“The driver was so intoxicated they could barely speak, and when officers tried to walk them to their patrol car, they fell over the curb.”
Fagan said police stopped a vehicle travelling at 143km/h last Thursday.
“This driver was suspended on the spot; however, she was stopped driving again only 90 minutes later,” Fagan said.
“Police and road safety partners are undertaking a large amount of work to ensure the safety of everyone on our roads.”
Police advised tired drivers to take regular breaks and split the driving with someone else.
“Having your seatbelt on, driving to the conditions and not being distracted while driving can be the difference in walking away from a crash or being seriously injured or worse.”
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