Snow falls in South Island, possible thunderstorms for North Island

It's a wet and possibly thundery start for parts of the North Island, but will improve later in the day. Photo / Joel Ford

Large parts of the North Island are waking up to a wet morning with thunderstorms possible from Te Kuiti through to Auckland.

MetService is warning a band of rain is heading up from Te Kuiti and Waitomo right up to Auckland, bringing with it rain for most of the morning before easing later this afternoon.

MetService shift meteorologist Dan Corrigan said there were showers either side of the main rain band.

"There's a risk of thunderstorms with that band. Not everyone will see one, but it's a possibility."

It's a cold and frosty start for the South Island with showers and snow falling down to 500m in Otago, Southland and Fiordland early today before fining up later in the day.

A road snowfall warning is in place for Arthurs Pass with up to 1cm of snow settling on the road near the summit.

A cold snap will hit the South Island tomorrow due to southerlies bringing in cooler air. There will be frosts in a number of places across the island from Marlborough down to Otago.

By Thursday, the sun will shine and it will be mainly fine for both islands, making it a good opportunity to get the kids outside for the final few days of the school holidays.

Corrigan said Thursday would be a "real stunner for the South Island" with the exception of a few showers in Fiordland and the Deep South.

There were also a few showers expected in Northland and Taranaki.