Auckland weather set to ease but no such luck for Wellington

Workers scrapping mud form the floor at Ullrich Aluminiun in Cornish Street, Petone. Photo / Mark Mitchell, NZ Herald

Aucklanders have had to welcome both Prince Harry and cold winds and rain to the city today.

But luckily for the royal visitor, the poor weather looks set to ease off throughout the day.

Bands of heavy showers are currently making their way through Auckland, bringing with them potential thunderstorms.

Hail, strong winds and heavy rain poured down in some parts of the city this morning.

Emergency services were not called to any weather-related incidents this morning.

The showers are however, expected to become isolated as the day goes on and the bad weather shifts to the east. Aucklanders will be left with strong southwesterly winds.

Metservice meteorologist Stephen Glassey said the weekend was shaping up to be a large improvement on today's weather.

"The weather in Auckland is a really improving trend tomorrow. Winds should ease off on Sunday and we will be left with mostly fine weather," he said.

The news wasn't so good for Wellingtonians, who are set for a weekend of wet weather and cold, possibly galeforce, southerlies, after the deluge of rain which hit the region yesterday.

"Wellingtonians are fairly used to gale force winds but they will notice the colder temperatures, that's for sure," Mr Glassey said.

A weather watch for heavy rain has been lifted in the capital and a new warning has been reissued for the Tararua district and southern Hawke's Bay.

The weather over the weekend looks to be improving across the North Island. On Saturday the showers are expected to become confined to the eastern and southern parts of the North Island. Increasing fine spells can be expected.

Mr Glassey said rain in the east was also expected to ease in eastern parts of the country by Sunday.

"It is looking like quite a nice Sunday over the whole country. There are a few isolated showers around but it is a continually improving trend," he said.

Weather trends in the South Island look to mimic their North Island counterpart with continually improving weather over the course of the weekend.

MAIN CENTRE FORECAST:

•Whangarei - Showers clear on Saturday afternoon with a high of 19 degrees, and fine spells are expected for Sunday.

•Auckland - On Saturday showers will clear in the afternoon and the strong southwest will ease. A high of 18 degrees is expected. Cloudy periods on Sunday will be coupled with southwesterlies.

•Hamilton - Saturday is expected to be fine for Hamilton with a high of 16 degrees. That will continue into Sunday with light breezes.

•Tauranga - The rain is expected to clear on Saturday with some southwesterlies. Sunday looks to be fine with a high of 17 degrees.

•Wellington - Wet weather and cold southerlies are expected on Saturday in the capital. They will continue into Sunday.

•Christchurch - Mostly fine spells are expected, coupled with a shower or two and fresh southwesterlies. Fine on Sunday, with a high of 12 degrees.

•Dunedin - Occasional showers on Saturday combined with cold southwesterlies. However, that will clear going into Sunday which looks to be fine.