Spring is known to bring four seasons in one day, and that was certainly the case around New Zealand.

Rain, hail and even lightning was reported across the Bay of Plenty and the upper North Island.

Now the weekend has gone, the MetService expects the weather to settle and temperatures to return to typical spring values.

The snow flurries and hailstorms that New Zealand was caused by a large pocket of cold air in the upper atmosphere.

'Flurries of snow down to 400-500m affected Otago, Canterbury and Marlborough, while thunderstorms and hail have had a significant impact on both islands over the last few days,” says a statement from the MetService.

'On Friday, an extended burst of hail was reported to have damaged new spring crops in Motueka.” As is typical for this time of year, the upcoming week will contain a bit of everything.

'The good news is we start the week off on the right foot, as the decent weather most people experience on Sunday will persist into Monday,” says meteorologist Angus Hines.

'That nice start will be rudely interrupted by a front which moves onto New Zealand on Tuesday.” Initially the South Island will bear the brunt of the weather, as this front is expected to bring periods of rain to western parts of the island, and strong winds to the east.

MetService has already issued a Severe Weather Watch for northwesterly gales about the lower South Island starting on Monday night.

On the flipside, the North Island will experience a few more predominantly dry days before the front arrives during Wednesday, which will be welcome relief after prolonged wet weather has caused headaches for farmers and outdoor adventurers alike.

A front, with associated wind and rain, moves onto the South Island early on Tuesday. Image from weatherscape at MetService.