A strong wind warning has been issued for the lower North Island and parts of the South Island on Saturday.

From early morning, the Canterbury High Country can expect severe gales with gusts up to 130km/h, not easing until 5pm, MetService says.

Further north, Marlborough, Wellington, Wairarapa and Tararua can expect severe gales reaching 120km/h between midday and 11pm.

MetService said people should secure items that could be picked up by strong winds, and take into account that driving may be difficult, especially for high-sided vehicles and motorcycles.

Meteorologist John Law said there would be unsettled weather as a front moved up the country, bringing some heavy rainfall towards the western facing coast and stronger winds.

"By the end of the day that wet weather and those stronger winds transfers towards the North Island as well," he said.

Showers turning to rain are forecast for the north and west of the North Island on Saturday, but they will ease to isolated showers on Sunday morning.

In the South Island there will be rain in the south and the west, which may be heavy on Saturday, but was expected to clear in southern Westland, Otago and Canterbury later in the day.

More showers are expected in the south and west of the South Island on Sunday, but it is expected to be mainly fine elsewhere.

Law said the front was expected to move through fairly quickly and it was expected to clear by Sunday with more settled weather but cooler temperatures.

There would still likely be showers in the southern part of the South Island on Sunday, he said.

As of 7am Saturday, in addition to the strong wind warnings MetService had wind watches on Hawke's Bay (south of Hastings), Fiordland, inland Southland and Clutha, Queenstown Lakes, Otago, the

Canterbury Plains, Christchurch, Banks Peninsula.