Pick your camping spots carefully and take care while driving, as this long weekend starts off wet for many areas.

A band of heavy rain is set to stall over the central and upper North Island from today through to Sunday morning, with an improving trend on Labour Day.

A band of heavy rain is making its way up the country. Image: MetService.

MetService has issued a Severe Weather Watch for heavy rain about the central North Island hill country from the Tararua Range to Tongariro and Taranaki.

'People heading into the hills should take care, as these prolonged and heavy falls of rain will lead to rises in river levels,” says meteorologist Tom Adams, 'with the start of the Great Walk season trampers and campers need to be careful when fording rivers and picking campspots.”

Later on Saturday a low forms on the front and crosses the upper North Island. This will spread the rainfall north over Northland and Auckland, and the Bay of Plenty and East Cape have a chance of some heavy falls on Sunday.

As the low pulls away on Sunday afternoon the weather improves for the upper North Island, but the lingering cloud could still bring some patchy drizzle.

'On Monday another front starts moving up the South Island, bringing a drop in temperatures, and rain to the North Island on Tuesday,” says Tom.

'The east coast of the South Island will get a few showers Sunday morning, but stays mostly fine until Monday night.” The following week sees classic spring conditions, with fast-moving fronts moving up the country bringing a mix of fine spells and showers.