A strong cold southerly airflow over the South Island spreads over the North Island on Wednesday bringing rain with a risk of heavy falls and hail. Also some snow about the Central Plateau.

Rain or showers for most regions on Wednesday, there may be hail at times also. Some inland parts of the South Island may stay quite sheltered apart from an initial burst of precipitation in the morning. Snow to low levels (200 to 100m) from Southland through to Canterbury, 400m about Marlborough through to the Central North Island in the evening.

Winds blustery and cold from the south or southwest, gales through Cook Strait.

By Weather Analyst Aaron Wilkinson – WeatherWatch.co.nz