Blanket of hail hints at chill around the corner

Hail blankets Ellerslie. Photo / Mark Robinson

A hailstorm that left a blanket of white over some Auckland suburbs was the first sign of the cold snap to come.

A huge hailstorm hit Ellerslie just before 2pm yesterday, blanketing the ground in hail and causing an office block off Marua Rd to flood.

Watch: Hail hits Auckland

MetService meteorologist John Law said Auckland was hit with heavy showers, hail and some thunder and lightning.

"It is not unusual to see hail when you get these nice big showers and cold tops," he said. "It's the perfect condition for hail to form."

Today, a southwesterly flow would make things a bit cooler, and isolated showers were expected in the west around the Waitakere Ranges, Mr Law said.

Showers were expected tomorrow, and the southwesterly flow meant temperatures would be cooler, with an overnight low on Wednesday of 8C.

A cold outbreak would arrive at the end of the week, and would send temperatures plummeting again with more snow in the south, Mr Law said.

Southland, Otago and Canterbury could all expect a dusting of snow.

Meanwhile, the east of the North Island was set for a wet week.

A severe weather warning had been issued for heavy rainfall for Gisborne and Hawkes Bay to the north of Napier. Waikato and the Central Plateau as well as the South Island could expect frosty nights, Mr Law said.

"Once again, the temperatures are likely to see-saw across the country.

"After a frosty Monday night temperatures will recover slightly on Tuesday with a brief return to milder northwesterlies."

Meanwhile, 60 men and women battled the elements yesterday to bring up the 19m-high, 51m-round big top for Cirque du Soleil's Totem, which will open at Alexandra Park on August 22.