It's been a chilly start to the day in parts of the country.
Wellingtonians woke to low temperatures, heavy rain and hail.
Roadworker Isabelle Mander said she was told to go home when she arrived at her work in Lyall Bay this morning.
"It's just too wet and too windy to do anything, if we were doing stuff today, it would be far too dangerous, our bosses recognise that and we just had to put stuff on hold," she said.
A stormy looking Lyall Bay today. Photo: RNZ / Richard Tindiller
Sand had been swept onto the roads in the coastal suburb, almost deserted as people chose to stay inside rather than braving the conditions.
However, Sid Wiparata was still out cleaning the facilities at the Lyall Bay surf lifesaving club, undeterred by the gusts of winds reaching 120 km an hour.
"This is probably the worst I've seen it for a little while, it's kicking up pretty bad," he said laughing.
MetService meteorologist John Law said in the capital, showers were laced with hail this morning and more showers were expected through the rest of the day, but they were likely to peter out by the end of the day.
He said strong winds would continue.
"There is a severe weather warning out for those winds, not just for Wellington, but also down in towards the coastal parts of Marlborough and some stronger winds around Wairarapa and up in towards Hawke's Bay and Gisborne as well."
Mr Law said Desert Road may have some snow showers today and tonight, and Central Otago was expected to drop to below freezing.
MetService says severe southerly gales are expected in exposed coastal parts of Marlborough from Cape Campbell northwards, and in Wellington until Monday evening.