Cold south to southwest winds lies over the South Island on Saturday, spreading onto the North Island overnight. Cold southwesterlies ease over the country on Sunday.

Showers, some possibly heavy with a risk of small hail and thunder for the western North Island on Saturday. Snow flurries affect higher parts of the Central Plateau / Desert Road. Expect strong southerlies in the east from Canterbury through to Wellington, heavy rain about Canterbury in the morning then easing to showers. The odd shower and risk of small hail from Southland up through to Canterbury, showers about North Westland / Buller clear in the afternoon.

Flurries getting down to 300m about the lower South Island for a time on Saturday, 400m in Canterbury, 800m about the Central Plateau.

Showers becoming restricted mostly to southwern and eastern parts of New Zealand on Sunday, clearing away from inland areas. Auckland northwards has morning showers which clear then sunny spells increase. Sunny weather for the West Coast of the South Island, Nelson and the Bay Of Plenty.

By Weather Analyst Aaron Wilkinson – WeatherWatch.co.nz