A flight attempting to land in Wellington has been struck by lightning, as thunder and hail rattle the capital. 

The lower North Island was the first to feel severe thunderstorms, squally rain and dropping temperatures which are forecast throughout the country on Tuesday evening.

Air New Zealand spokeswoman Hannah Searle confirmed a flight from Auckland had aborted a landing attempt in Wellington after encountering a lightning strike.

The flight was diverted back to Auckland, along with a subsequent flight from Dunedin.

READ MORE: Heavy rain, severe gales, snow to low levels as winter comes knocking

"Our pilots train for lightning strikes and aircraft are designed with this in mind," she said.

FRAN TYLER/SUPPLIED

Surface flooding on a Wellington street on Tuesday.

Programme manager Sara Barham was a passenger on the Auckland flight, and said passengers were in "good spirits" after watching the fork lightning from the plane's windows. 

"The pilot had explained before we left Auckland there was a chance we might not manage it, because of the wind."

The first attempt at landing, at about 7.30pm, failed due to high winds preventing it from touching down. 

"We were very close to landing … we were over the runway basically and then he powered away."

Circling for a second landing attempt, Barham saw the lightning fork to the right of the plane.

"The pilot said, 'Oh, I think we've just been hit by lightning'.

"It was just a flash, I didn't hear anything. It was pretty rock and rolly at that stage."

Barham is one of many passengers now stuck in Auckland for the night.

"It just goes with the territory, when living on two little skinny islands at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean."

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MetService lifted a severe thunderstorm warning for Wellington at 10pm, but not before heavy rain caused surface flooding.  

Central Fire Communications confirmed fire services were responding to "half a dozen" minor weather related call outs. 

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Wellington had a sudden but brief downpour on Tuesday.

The active front passing over the centre of the country will bring with it more thunderstorms, while north to the Bay of Plenty a line of squalls will pass over. 

In the South Island, southwesterlies following the front will drop temperatures and result in snowfall along the Southern Alps.

At 8pm MetService duty meteorologist said the main active front was over Buller and heading over Nelson and thunder had already been heard in Wellington.

"We've already heard thunder in Wellington so we're really expecting a squall line to pass over the likes of Wellington, Kapiti, affecting Taranaki and move over the North Island in the early hours of tomorrow," the duty meteorologist said.

"Everything west of the spine of the Tararuas right into the Bay of Plenty [will be affected] so it's only Hawke's Bay, Wairarapa and Gisborne that are missing out."

"We're actually expecting thunderstorm activity for most of those areas and the west of the North Island in the early hours when everyone is in bed and tucked away and they can sort of enjoy it from the inside rather than being caught out in peak hour traffic or anything like that."

A MetService severe thunderstorm watch said Auckland, Waikato, Waitomo and Taumarunui could expect severe thunderstorms between about 1am and 6am.

"About Taranaki, Horowhenua, Kapiti, Wellington and the Marlborough Sounds, a few of these thunderstorms may be severe between about 8pm [Tuesday] and 2am Wednesday."

The storms were expected to be at their worst between 10.30pm Tuesday and 2am Wednesday, with wind gusts in excess of 110kmh.

"Behind that front we're getting sort of a southwest flow. So that's already moved over the South Island at the moment. With that we will be getting a bit of showery weather so it keeps in on the West Coast of the South Island and obviously cooler weather with that as well.

"So just cooler temperatures with that so the likes of Alexandra getting down to -3C overnight and getting a few more snow showers - not so much accumulation but snow showers - about the spine of the Alps."

WHAT'S COMING TOMORROW

Snow will be lowering in Southland and south and Central Otago, down to 300 metres for a time in the morning.

"Really for the South Island it's an improving trend tomorrow whereas the North Island will be having that active thunderstorm and active squall line that's moving over early morning and then we're still getting those south westerlies which will be really strong for places like Auckland. With those, there is still the potential for thunderstorms and hail.

"So it is really likely, again for those western areas, particularly from Manuwatu northward to still get showers so it will be more on and off.

"So not looking amazing [for the North Island]."

Thunderstorms would be a big factor in Wednesday's weather for the North Island, MetService said.

 - Stuff