Auckland was battered by a fierce hailstorm this afternoon, as the cold snap continued to play havoc.
The downpours have led to warnings of flash flooding and motorists have been urged to be careful, with the hail causing slippery conditions on the roads.
PHOTOS: Hail storm hits Auckland
The onset of the hailstorm surprised Aucklanders but it was the appearance of a small funnel cloud over the North Shore that had many worrying the city was about to be hit by a tornado.
Metservice meteorologists Claire Flynn told NZME. News Service there was nothing to worry about. Although the funnel cloud had the potential to become a tornado if it hit ground level, she said it was weak and should blow out soon.
"It's nothing to worry about at the moment and it shouldn't cause any damage," she said.
"Even it does reach ground level and become a tornado it won't be very strong and should dissipate."
One person caught in the hail, and didn't mind, was 12-year-old Eamon Rooney. The boy was walking home from Birkdale Intermediate when the skies erupted with balls of ice.
"I opened my mouth and looked up and one piece landed straight in my mouth. I could feel it on my tongue and then I crunched it."
Asked how big the piece was, he said: "I don't know, it was in my mouth."
Aucklanders in the city have been sending in their pictures of hail, some mistaking it for snow.
Holly Green shared a picture of the "hail that went splat on the windscreen almost like snow" while on the Southern Motorway near Grafton.
Pettawee Sor Kittichai called it "ice rain" and gathered a ball of it in Mt Eden to pose for a picture.
Tim Pegler shared a video of what he called "snow" from Khyber Pass Rd.
All Black Malakai Fekitoa took to Twitter this afternoon to post a few images from team practice in Auckland.
The cold snap that's left much of the country shivering is great news for skiers, MetService says.
The southerly flow that brought another dumping to ski fields over the weekend is starting to die out - leaving great conditions for snow bunnies.
"A ridge of high pressure is building over the South Island, which will bring clear skies and light winds for the next few days," says MetService Meteorologist Stephen Glassey.
"The North Island ski fields did not miss out either with a snow base now over 2 metres at Whakapapa, although mountain-goers there will need to wrap up warm against the cold southerly flow which is expected to persist until late Wednesday."
Much of the country will need an extra couple of layers of clothing for the next couple of days.
Cold temperatures in the upper atmosphere that helped produce hail in many parts of the North Island during the weekend will stick around. More hail is possible in the upper North Island today, but hail showers should be confined to eastern and southern parts of the North Island tomorrow.
There will be frosts over much of the South Island and parts of the North Island tonight.
Temperatures are expected to rise towards the end of the week as a northerly flow develops over New Zealand. However, a low is expected to approach from the Tasman Sea on Friday and move over the country during the weekend.
"This will probably bring a return to colder, wetter weather," Mr Glassey says. "As well as updating forecasts, we'll also be keeping the All Blacks updated on the possible effect of this on the Bledisloe Cup rugby decider at Eden Park on Saturday night."
MetService has issued safety warnings and advice before bad weather hits NZ on Sunday.
