Hailstones the size of marbles fell from the sky as thunderstorm season begins in Canterbury.

As some Aucklanders basked in glorious weather firefighters were battling scrub blazes set off by passing trains.

Was it just me or did the lady who was crying about her island going under water because of global warming seem fake?

Evidence of rising temperatures in NZ is being used by Britain in an effort to lessen the fall-out from leaked scientific emails.

Some parts of the Coromandel Peninsula are still cut off by flooding following torrential downpours.

The MetService says Aucklanders can expect more than 50mm of rain in the next six hours, or 100mm in the next 24 hours.

Parts of the North Island are set for a soaking today, with up to 140mms of rain expected to fall in some areas.

It's going to be a grey, muggy week, with warmer days likely to be matched with high levels of moisture in the air.

John Key will be offered $4781 by Lucy Lawless and Jim Salinger in an attempt to get him to a climate change conference in Denmark.

A cold southerly is set to dump more snow on the Desert Road and bring a chill to much of the country.

Suspicion that arsonists may have been behind a series of spot fires near Rockhampton in central Queensland, lit while firefighters were battling a "terrifying" wildfire, has fuelled community anger.

A large depression is moving towards the central North Island and Waikato, bringing with it plenty of rain.