Stormy election in store

Election day could bring stormy weather. Photo / File

North Island voters can expect to be lashed by rain and wind but there will be finer weather further south, the MetService says.

Meteorologist David Miller said a trough meant wet conditions.

Auckland could expect some heavy morning rain, with a possibility of thunderstorms, he said.

The weather would be much the same in Hamilton and Tauranga, with heavy rain and some thunderstorms possible, as well as strong winds.

A severe weather watch was in place for Wellington. "It probably will be ... gusting at about 100 km/h but this is Wellington, so it is nothing too dramatic or unheard of."

Voters in the South Island can expect to see some sunshine - an about-turn from MetService's earlier prediction of snow on election day.

The Electoral Commission confirmed yesterday that 557,000 advance votes had been cast by Thursday night - 16 per cent of all eligible voters who have enrolled.

The total has already far surpassed the 334,558 cast in 2011.