Kiwis hoping for the sunshine after a wet and thundery Christmas may be out of luck, as large chunks of the country remain in line for showers and stormy weather this Boxing Day.

Much of the top half of the North Island is today cloaked in heavy rain and severe thunderstorm watches with rain not expected to stop falling until midnight.

While the system that caused downpours over the North Island on Christmas Day is moving offshore in the morning, MetService forecaster Tuporo Marsters said by the afternoon it should be bringing rain to the Bay of Plenty.

He said the respite from rain will be short-lived across the country as showers come back again in the afternoon over east Northland, and rainfall will possibly be heavy right through to the inland ranges, Taranaki and some areas in Hawke’s Bay.

“Waikato should be okay for most of the morning, and even down towards Wellington, they’re okay, and as we head towards the evening, those showers do start to peter out.”

A rain watch remains in place from Northland through to the Bay of Plenty, including holiday hotspot Coromandel Peninsula.

Northland, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay have been placed under a thunderstorm alert from 1pm.

MetService is warning the severe thunderstorms could see intense downpours threaten flash floods around low-lying areas and also lead to slips.

In the South Island, Marsters said it won’t be a bad morning for Canterbury and the Kaikōura coast. However, another southerly change will bring some showers and possible thunder north of Dunedin and into inland South Canterbury.

“It sort of brings the cold changes spreading up to Kaikōura by nighttime.”

He said the weather will fine up over the deep south, but the West Coast is in store for showers.

Marsters told the Herald temperatures would mostly be over 20C across the North Island, and Napier and Hastings will again be hitting the late 20s. The capital is also set to reach around 22C.

Over on the South Island’s West Coast, Masters said the area can expect temperatures in the early 20s, and Blenheim could reach 26C.

“[Temperatures will be] a little bit cooler, with that southeasterly change for [the area] around Christchurch only going to 22C, and then it’s dropping into the high teens through to Timaru.”

Further inland, he said Central Otago could hit 25C.

Yesterday, Hastings saw the top temperature across the country, hitting around 33C, with nearby Napier reaching 32C and Gisborne making it to 28C.

Down south, Masters said Twizel also felt the heat, getting to 30C. Kaikōura reached 27C and Christchurch hit 25C.