Sun came out for Easter weekend but thunder and hail due Monday

Bella Hernandez enjoys the sun on the Tauranga waterfront on Sunday. Photo/Alan Gibson

April's weather was back to normal on the weekend, as sunny spells mixed with showers in much of the North Island.

The intermittent sunshine was welcomed for Easter Sunday after areas in the northern North Island saw double monthly rainfalls in the first two weeks of April.

Keen water babies in Tauranga even splashed outas the thermometer climbed to 20C. Bella Hernandez moved to Tauranga from Mexico and tested the waters in her adopted home town while the skies were clear.

But in the afternoon a slow-moving low brought pockets of heavy rain and thunderstorms, particularly in the central North Island and Hawke's Bay.

There will be more showers in the north today , possibly heavy in the afternoon in eastern regions, and with a chance of hail in some spots.

But there was good news for the North Island on Tuesday, according to the MetService.

"Though showers are expected for those hard hit areas of Bay of Plenty over the next couple of days, with isolated thunderstorms possible, a ridge pushing on to the country on Tuesday marks a more settled weather pattern for the area and generally the country," MetService meteorologist April Clark said.

MetService said the weather ahead was looking "a lot closer to normal" for autumn. Further into the week most parts of the country will see fine spells along with a few showers, and more regular weather patterns were expected for the rest of the month, with westerlies predominating.

Whangarei - Showers, some heavy, possibly thunderstorms. Northwesterlies. 21C.
Auckland - Showers clearing midday. Southwesterlies. 20C.
Hamilton - Occasional showers, some heavy, thunder and hail possible. 19C.
Tauranga - Showers, some heavy, possibly thunder and hail possible. 20C.
Wellington - Few showers, rain in the evening. Southerlies. 15C