Grey skies over Auckland. Photo / Dean Purcell.
One minute people were reaching for sunglasses, the next for coats and umbrellas as October's bizarre weather fluctuated wildly from glorious sunshine to hailstones.
The four-seasons-in-one-day weather that has plagued New Zealand and disrupted school holiday plans will continue today as another front sweeps up the country from
the south.
The unsettled weather is being caused by cold air from the south crossing warming oceans.
Planes, ferry services and road travel were disrupted yesterday, although with no major accidents.
Air New Zealand cancelled 18 flights in and out of Wellington because of strong winds, leaving about 600 passengers to seek alternative travel arrangements.
Some passengers who did get on to an aircraft didn't fare much better - one Wellington-to-Auckland flight was struck by lightning.
Driving was also hazardous in the capital as waves crashed into coastal roads, and Cook Strait ferry crossings were slowed.
In Auckland, baking sun, downpours, swirling winds and hailstones followed each other in quick succession.
Temperatures fluctuated between 8C and 16C. The west of the Auckland region was drenched in more than 22mm of rain, but less than 8mm fell to the south.
Ferries between downtown Auckland and Birkenhead and Northcote Point were stopped and passengers put on buses. Fullers' operations manager Ian Greenslade said the Northcote Point wharf was closed yesterday and most of Tuesday.
The coastguard urged people not to go out on the water.
Duty leader Katherine Andrews said incidents reported included a boat adrift in the Tamaki river and a yacht smashing on to rocks near Waiheke.
Yesterday afternoon a man had to be rescued after being caught by strong winds while trying to row out to his boat in Hobson Bay.
Today, a front with gale-force gusts moves up the country, and will hit Auckland this evening.
MetService weather ambassador Bob McDavitt said fronts would continue over the weekend.
But an anticyclone due in two weeks should "kick start a fairly warm spring".
