There have been some significant downpours in the upper North Island today with squalls, some with hail, dotting Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty especially. In the past hour or so heavy downpours are also tracking around Marlborough, Cook Strait area and parts of Wellington and Wairarapa.

There are other showers, some a bit heavy, dotting many western and central regions of the North Island – the heaviest are now showing signs of easing from the Tasman Sea, with showers becoming lighter and more isolated later in the day. Most showers will be clearing tonight ahead of Sunday’s cold front.

On Sunday a classic spring front will move into the western side of both islands tracking eastwards.

Temperatures will transition away from mild northerly quarter winds on Sunday to a colder south to south westerly by  evening and across Monday morning. This warm to cold change may spark a few thunderstorms in the west and south west on Sunday.

2:20pm Enhanced Rain Radar for New Zealand (via IBM/TWC – a WeatherWatch.co.nz official partner)

– WeatherWatch.co.nz