Are summer conditions returning to New Zealand on Sunday? Not quite for all. It’ll be a tale of two halves across the country, as an unsettled showery South-East flow maintains a grip over much of the North Island. Skies will in fact clear over the South, however temperatures will remain on the cool side for most.

It’ll be a partly cloudy day in the upper North at first, but scattered showers with localised thunder and hail are likely to arise during the afternoon, particularly about inland Waikato and the Bay of Plenty.

Things aren’t looking too flash in the South and East of the North Island with occasional rain, heavy falls and possible thunderstorms being the main theme of the day, accompanied by strong, gusty South-Easterlies. Slightly drier conditions are expected about the Kapiti Coast, Whanganui and Taranaki districts as some morning rain eases off to just the odd shower.

Temperature highs range from the early 20s in the far North, to a meagre mid-summer high of just 14 degrees in Wellington.

In stark contrast, the South Island should be in store for a relatively fine day. Cloud clears away during the morning enabling a nice sunny one for most, barring coastal areas of North Canterbury, Kaikoura and Marlborough where cloud is likely to linger for the day.

Breezy South-Easterlies along the coast north of Christchurch keeps a cap on the temperatures with Northern Marlborough unable to escape the North’s strong gusty South-East wind flow. Light winds and North-East sea breezes across the remainder of the south. Temperatures around the Island are expected to range from the mid-teens in the North-East, to early/mid 20s on the West Coast and across the lower South.

By Jono Hartland, WeatherWatch.co.nz