Stunning rainbow follows Dunedin downpour

A stunning rainbow spans the sky after a heavy downpour at St Clair beach, Dunedin, late this afternoon. 

The short, sharp downpour was accompanied by hail in the hill suburbs.

It arrived amid warnings of severe wind and heavy rain for most of the South Island, with snow also forecast for some alpine roads.

MetService says severe weather warnings and watches are in place on Sunday, as a series of fast-moving fronts will bring bursts of heavy rain to western parts of the South Island, with "significant spillover" into the Otago and Canterbury headwaters.