New Zealand / Weather

Cold snap could bring frost, thunder

21:40 pm on 29 April 2017

It's likely to be a wet evening for much of the North Island, with MetService saying thunderstorms are possible for some areas.

Rain pours down in Auckland CBD. (file photo) Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly

And the South does not escape, with the year's first sub-zero temperatures expected to hit Central Otago overnight.

Thunderstorm watches are in place for Northland and the east coast of the North Island including Bay of Plenty and the Coromandel Peninsula.

Metservice said Bay of Plenty will get heavy rain from tonight to tomorrow morning.

A heavy rain warning has been issued for the region, with up to 140 millimetres expected.

And a severe weather watch is in place for the Tararua Ranges.

In the South Island, a metservice meteorologist, April Clark, says inland areas could drop below zero overnight.

"We do have a cold front that's moving and approaching in the far south tonight.

"It will definitely be quite cold, especially overnight, with Alexandra going down to negative one [degrees]."

Ms Clark said McKenzie Country and other areas in Central Otago could also drop below zero degrees overnight.