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MetService said New Zealand is off to a frosty start after cold air moved over the country last night.
The early morning weather forecast predicted that Palmerston North and Nelson might reach 0°C, Rotorua could go as low as -2°C, and Christchurch might drop to -4°C.
Later this morning, an unstable westerly flow is expected to move on to southern New Zealand, bringing heavy showers and the possibility of small hail.
There’s a low risk of thunderstorms for Fiordland, Stewart Island, and coastal Southland after dawn.
The westerly flow will subsequently cover southern and central New Zealand, increasing the likelihood of heavy showers and small hail in some areas.
There will also be a low risk of thunderstorms for the Westland District, Fiordland, Stewart Island, and coastal Southland during this time.
In the afternoon and evening, the risk of thunderstorms extends to the Grey and Buller Districts, as well as northwest Tasman.
Coastal areas from Manawatū to Waitomo may also experience a low risk of thunderstorms from the evening onwards.
Other regions can expect a mostly dry day without any major weather disturbances.
It comes after “brutal” weather caused thousands of power outages, damage to properties and damage to a plane on Tuesday.
Some 22,000 properties across the Coromandel Peninsula were struck by power outages around lunchtime, with the widespread fault fixed shortly before 2pm.
Passengers on a domestic Jetstar flight from Auckland to Christchurch were evacuated after strong winds blew boarding stairs into the left wing, causing “minor damage”.
A Fire and Emergency NZ (Fenz) spokesman said they had been called to 11 weather-related callouts in Auckland between 11am and 6.30pm on Tuesday.
Invercargill MP Penny Simmonds called the weather “brutal” following the dumping of snow in her region and said several primary schools and highways had been forced to close.
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