Upper North Island

Areas of cloud and showers, mainly afternoon. Showers may be heavy with a risk of hail. Winds tend southwesterly for most.

Lower North Island

Showers in the west with snow flurries to 400 or perhaps 300m mostly clearing this morning, winds from the southeast. In the east and about Wellington expect showers for much of the day, heavy at times with south to southeasterly winds, hail possible. Snow flurries to 300m in the south and down to 400m further north (Hawkes Bay northwards).

Upper South Island

Mostly sunny for the West Coast, Nelson and Marlborough. About Canterbury expect a mostly sunny start although showers pepper some right on the coast especially Banks Peninsula with small hail and snow flurries to low levels. In the afternoon cloud and showers push into most parts of Canterbury with snow flurries to low levels.

Lower South Island

Mostly sunny in the west. Mostly cloudy elsewhere with cold southerly winds, the odd snow flurry about falling to low levels but mostly clearing in the evening, snow is not expected to be heavy but if anything Otago Peninsula and areas right on the coast of Otago pick up slightly heavier precipitation then elsewhere. Heavy frosts develop overnight as cloud clears away.

By Weather Analyst Aaron Wilkinson – WeatherWatch.co.nz