Stormy end to the week for Auckland as spring weather ramps up

Auckland is in the firing line for unsettled spring weather, with thunderstorms, hail and bursts of heavy rain forecast to hit the city this evening, October 3.

Today, periods of rain and showers move from the northwest over the North Island and top of the South Island, brought on by a series of active rain bands associated with a low-pressure system.

MetService forecasts squally thunderstorms and hail with localised heavy falls are possible for Auckland and Northland in the evening and at night.

“Rain will be heavy at times in places in the top half of the North Island, but the speed at which these bands are moving means total rainfall accumulations might struggle to climb. However, we’ll be keeping an eye on shorter, more intense falls,” MetService Meteorologist Katie Hillyer says.

On Saturday, showers spread over the rest of the country as the low-pressure system moves over.

“The whole country really becomes a swirling mass of scattered showers,” says Hillyer.

While everyone will be affected by these showers at some point, the places to watch are the top half of the North Island and the Tasman Region on Friday and Saturday. These places will see more persistence in rain and showers, as well as some heavier ones, particularly up north.

Showers will also linger into Saturday, bringing gusty winds that could turn in direction as the system passes.

Temperatures are set to briefly rise on Friday night with mild double-digit minimums, before cooling again over the weekend.

MetService says the weather will remain unsettled into early next week, with only a short break on Sunday and Monday before the next system moves in.