Updated 11:03pm — Thunderstorms are tonight popping up around northern and western areas of the North Island.  So far this evening Hamilton, Raglan, Waitomo, New Plymouth and parts of Northland have all had thunderstorms and intense downpours.

Showers will become more intense over the next few hours.

Then an active front in the Tasman Sea will move into the west of the North Island early on Sunday morning. 

Conditions will be fairly humid overnight with the low only droping to 14 degrees in the north…if that.  It will be mid way through the night or towards dawn on Sunday that this front passes through and makes things more interesting, this will likely bring some heavy rain and the chance of some thunder – not everyone will get it, but some could get an impressive display.  The rain may also break up into basically very large showers.  

A few isolated thunderstorms may also pop up between now and that main front, which is a little broken up as it moves in tonight.

Wellington can look forward to a period of heavier rain overnight. Winds will be brisk from the north with an overnight low of 13 degrees.

Christchurch looks like it will be mainly dry overnight with some high cloud, winds will be light and the low drops to 9 degrees. There is a possibility some rain may move over for a time from dawn.

By Weather Analyst Aaron Wilkinson and the WW news desk – WeatherWatch.co.nz