A very cold southeasterly airflow lies over the South Island and lower North Island today, northerly quarter winds further north.

North Island

Some fog possible this morning for the upper North Island then partly cloudy with light northeasterlies, a few showers along the western coastline this morning then spreading elsewhere this afternoon, one or two heavy falls with a rumble of thunder possible. Showers for Taranaki, rain for Wellington and Wairarapa with heavy falls possible. Snow to 600m for the ranges of Wellington and southern Wairarapa. Napier and Gisborne is a bit cloudy with the odd shower and southerly quarter winds. Expect blustery southeasterly winds for the lower North Island, strong to gale through Cook Strait, coastal Wairarapa and coastal Taranaki.

South Island

Cloudy in the east with rain or showers, easing this afternoon, snow 300 to 200m but may go as low as 100m to near sea level south of about Banks Peninsula. Southland is dry today, showers clear Central Otago this afternoon, only a few showers remaining for North Otago overnight. Rain clears Nelson this morning, the West Coast is mainly dry today but there may be some rain this morning then clearing. Southeasterlies for most today, gale force about the Sounds and Golden Bay, winds tend more east to northeast about Southland and Otago.