North Islanders face heavy showers, possible thunderstorms and hail on the last Friday of the school holidays. 

MetService has forecast rain and showers to move from the northwest across the North Island and the top of the South Island today. 

Bands of rain could bring squally thunderstorms and localised heavy falls for Northland and Auckland this evening. 

MetService forecaster Devlin Lynden told the Herald cloudy and showery conditions would sit especially low across the top of the North Island. 

“People will really feel like they are in the thick of it,” Lynden said. 

“It will be quite drizzly, quite wet and just generally not the day to put the washing on the line.” 

Lynden described the conditions as “warm and wet”. 

“Particularly because we have had some cold temperatures, it will be a sudden switch for some people to the warm, moist change,” he said. 

“It looks like much of the north of the North Island will be in the low 20s .” 

According to MetService forecasts, Kaitaia, Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga would all reach a high of 20C with minimums of between 13C and 14C. 

The South Island will have a nice morning with a few patches of cloud; however, a front is forecast to move in from the Tasman Sea in the evening. 

“We’re expecting clouds throughout the day and showers to start picking up, especially in the north of the South Island in the evening.” 

David Williams is an Auckland-based Multimedia Journalist who joined the Herald in 2023. He covers breaking news and general topics.