After a night of wild weather, MetService is forecasting on-and-off showers on Thursday, before a cold cup of winter is served across the country from Friday into the weekend.

What’s happened and updates:

Between Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning several areas experienced brief but intense periods of rain.

Taupō was just 0.2 mm shy of its wettest June day, with 61.2 mm of rain from 9am on Wednesday to 9am on Thursday.

The band of heavy rain and downpours that lashed the country overnight has now shifted east away from New Zealand.

Scattered showers are expected today – and even sunny spells for some.

However, the West Coast of the South Island remains unsettled, with rain and a chance of thunderstorms forecast for later today.

Parts of inland Canterbury woke up to a snowy scene on Thursday morning, but there’s more to come.

Snow is set to return on Friday and Saturday to Southland, Otago, Canterbury and Marlborough.

Heavy snow watches and warnings have been issued, with the largest accumulations expected above 400 metres.

However, flurries are possible down to around 200 to 300 metres, including in Queenstown. Several road snowfall warnings are also in place.

“The snow may affect travel and could have an impact on rural communities and farmers,” said MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane.

“It’s a good idea to prepare ahead of time and allow extra time if you have to head out on the roads.”

Elsewhere, the weekend brings a mix of showers and drier spells, with windy conditions in Westland, where a watch for strong winds is in place. But it’s the cold that most people will be feeling.

“Firewood, warm drinks, and plenty of extra layers will go a long way, I would imagine.”

Temperatures across the South Island are forecast to peak in the low- to mid-single digits during the day, with overnight lows well below freezing.

Wānaka stands out, with a daytime high of just 2°C and a chilly low of -6°C.

The North Island will be feeling the cold too, with a sharp drop in temperatures over the next couple of days.

Napier will get a warm 22C today but will struggle to 13C on Friday.

Waiouru is expected to reach only 4C this weekend, with highs of 10C in Palmerston North and 13C in Auckland.