MetService is forecasting thunderstorms, some of which could be severe, in parts of the country as a cold front moves across New Zealand today.
A severe thunderstorm watch is in place until 11pm tonight around Christchurch, as far north as Kaikoura and as far south as Oamaru.
The poor weather is expected to be worse this evening in that area, with heavy rainfalls and "large accumulations of hail" posing a possible risk to crops, glasshouses and vehicles, MetService said.
Surface and flash flooding is also a possibility, especially in low-lying areas like streams, rivers and narrow valleys.
There is also a moderate risk of thunderstorms this afternoon and into the evening across a large portion of the country's western coastline, including New Plymouth and Taranaki as far north as Auckland, and all the way south to the Kapiti Coast.
The western Tasman region could also see storms, as well as the West Coast all the way south to Fiordland, and down to Invercargill.
There is a lower risk that the thunderstorms could extend into Northland, Auckland, Coromandel, Hamilton, Rotorua, Taupō, Palmerston North and Wellington, as well as the inland areas of the South Island.
The cold front could also bring snowfall to low levels across the eastern and southern parts of the South Island, with the heaviest snowfall expected in Fiordland.
Strong, near-gale force winds are also forecast today and overnight in many areas of the North Island, as well as on the Banks Pensinsula in the south, extending down to Dunedin, Clutha, Southland and Stewart Island.
Road snowfall warnings are also in place for several state highways today, including the Desert Road (SH1), Lewis Pass (SH7), Arthur's Pass (SH73), Porters Pass (SH73), Haast Pass (SH6), Lindis Pass (SH8), the Crown Range Road, Milford Road (SH94) and the Dunedin to Waitati Highway (SH1).
For a full forecast for your region, see our weather section here .
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