Wet weather a brief relief from humid start to summer

Hot and humid weather enveloping much of the country was briefly broken overnight as a northward moving front brought rain.

Showers were heavy in some places. In Palmerston North 22mm fell in an hour but the showers will ease as the front weakens today.

"Looking at the past 12 hours, places like Palmerston North did see about 35mm of rain, Dannevirke saw about 25mm," MetService meteorologist Josh Griffin said.

For sun-parched South Island towns, the wet weather is sadly over for now.

Showers will linger in the North Island only, mainly in Hawke's Bay and Gisborne before moving off the coast.

The exception was Fiordland, where more rain was forecast to fall tonight.

Early risers in Auckland woke to heavy showers about 5am, and rain would continue in the city and in Northland before clearing in the afternoon.

Wellingtonians experiencing a dry early summer got about 5-6mm of rain overnight, usual for this time of year, Griffin said.

"Behind this front we do have some southwesterly winds," he warned.

Banks Peninsula and the Kaikoura coast would be quite windy today before easing.

Most places were at an average temperature for this time of year, Griffin said.

Tauranga was forecast to be the hottest place in the country today with a high of 27C and Wanaka would be the warmest in the South Island, a degree below at 26C.

Showers will ease throughout the day, clearing by afternoon as the front moves off the country in the north. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Today's forecast

Whangarei: A few morning showers, becoming fine afternoon. Brisk southwest. High 25C.

Auckland: A period of early morning rain, then chance shower. Becoming fine afternoon. Brisk southwesterlies. High 22C.

Hamilton: Remaining cloud and showers clearing this morning, then fine. Southwest, dying out at night. High 24C.

Napier: A few showers, clearing early morning and fine spells increasing. Gusty southwesterlies. High 23C.

Wellington: Cloudy periods. A few showers, mainly in the east, clearing afternoon. Gale southerlies, easing from afternoon. High 17C.

Nelson: Fine. Southwest turning northeast afternoon. High 22C.

Christchurch: Often cloudy and chance shower, becoming fine afternoon. Southwest tending northeast afternoon. High 19C.

Queenstown: Fine with increasing high cloud. Westerlies developing afternoon. High 23C.

Invercargill: Cloudy with chance shower, becoming fine in the morning. High cloud increasing evening. Northeast developing morning. High 20C.