Erin Wendelborn's Waimauku home was pelted with hail this morning. Photo / Erin Wendelborn
"They are the biggest I have seen in New Zealand," Wendelborn said.
"The decking is completely covered, some areas 20cm deep. They are so big you could use them in drinks.
"I haven't seen any damage, but I haven't checked the car yet."
Decent thunderstorm activity this morning over the Auckland region, with another smaller cell just west of the city in the image. This looks set to continue through to the afternoon when it should start easing. Until then keep an eye on the radar here https://t.co/7k3nmdWQwx ^KL pic.twitter.com/jm2YwnvbSe
"It was pretty regular, coming every 30 seconds or so."
Kumeu resident James MacKay said when it started for a second he thought it was meteor shower.
"Then I thought it was birds banging into the roof. It was super loud."
MetService meteorologist Matthew Ford said an unsettled west to southwest flow had moved over the country today, meaning showers and isolated thunderstorms for northern areas this morning.
"Western areas and the upper North Island will be affected the most. But this should ease by this afternoon."
In Auckland showers may become heavy this morning, before fine breaks develop in the afternoon with a high of 16C.
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Rather changeable weather will be the rule, but with a lean toward colder temperatures, especially South Island...also with change often comes wind.
Similar weather is forecast around Whangārei, Taranaki, Waikato and Bay of Plenty this morning, with temperatures in the mid to late teens.
There is a moderate risk of thunderstorms to midday in western areas about Northland, Auckland, Coromandel Peninsula, Waikato, Waitomo, Taumarunui, Taranaki and Bay of Plenty.
These thunderstorms could bring localised heavy rain of 10 to 20mm/hr.
Taranaki bore the brunt of the heaviest weather yesterday, with one weather station near Mt Taranaki recording 80mm of rain in the past 24 hours.
Southerlies ease off tomorrow, but strong westerlies pick up in the south. In fact strong westerlies play a big part in New Zealand's weather for the next couple of weeks. So keep https://t.co/Yjbq0jxdqz as part of your daily routine, there will be lots to keep on top of!^TA pic.twitter.com/42kg1s6AIJ
Wellington is in for a cooler day today only reaching 13C, due to a brief southerly change this morning with showers clearing by the afternoon.
Eastern areas of both the North and South Island are in for relatively fine weather today.
The main difference will be in the temperatures however, with Gisborne topping out at 19C and Napier close behind on 18C, while Christchurch will struggle to get past 12C and Dunedin 13C.
A front is due to bring periods of rain on to Fiordland and Southland by the middle of the day, and head north.
This "unsettled" weather was due to hang around over the weekend, Ford said.
"We will be stuck with this weather for several days, which will bring bands of rain and occasional strong winds in the south and east. Generally western areas will be the most affected, with rain occasionally creeping into eastern areas."
In the North Island rain could get heavy about the Tararua Range, Mt Taranaki and inland to Tongariro National Park from Saturday to Monday.
With several deep lows passing by to the south of New Zealand in the next couple of weeks (instead of over the top of us like today) we can expect some good swells. This image shows swell for Saturday, find more details on https://t.co/wRPJ9xwz7p ^TA pic.twitter.com/LBVxaGYo5R
Showers and periods of rain are forecast throughout much of the North Island over the weekend, but mostly concentrated in western areas.
Heavy rain is also forecast through Fiordland, Westland, Buller and the Southern Alps from Saturday through Monday.
On Saturday the temperatures in the South Island could take a plunge with snow forecast down to 500m.
MetService predicts this dip in the mercury to continue over the next few weeks.
"Generally next week, and even into the week thereafter, it looks extremely cold for New Zealand, even for late May or early June," MetService forecaster Georgina Griffiths said.
"It kickstarts this weekend but progressively gets colder.
"Even Auckland will see highs of 16C or 17C, and it will feel cooler due to the wind chill for the first half of next week. Christchurch highs of 12C or 13C. [Wellington] is similar with 13C or 14C."
Today's weather
• Whangārei
Showers, chance heavy, becoming few from afternoon as fine breaks develop. Southwesterlies. 17C high, 10C overnight.