Big seas and high winds are set to sweep across Hawke's Bay and its coastlines over the next two days - prompting a "keep clear" warning from MetService for boaties and beach strollers.
The weather is set to cut up rough as the result of a wild southwesterly weather system coupled with storms from the Southern Ocean.
"Sweeping waves on exposed eastern coasts brings the risk of coastal erosion and a risk to people on the beaches," meteorologist Daniel Corbett said.
Hastings District Council emergency management officer Warren Meldrum said MetService weather releases and alerts were constantly monitored and staff would be maintaining a close watching brief on the forecast conditions.
To the north, at their peak, waves east of Wairoa to Portland Island could reach 4.5m later today, easing to 3m by Thursday.
The Portland region has also drawn a gale winds warning for the next two days.
The coastline south around the Bay could be in for 3m waves later today and only slightly easing to 2.5m through to Thursday.
"These waves are the combination of strong southwesterlies just offshore and heavy swells coming out of the Southern Oceans," Mr Corbett said.
Winds across the region will be strong at times - fluctuating between 30 and 45 knots and the temperature is not expected to rise past 11C today.
The cold southwesterly weather front will bring some scattered showers through until Friday, with temperatures hovering around the 13C mark until the weekend.
On Saturday and Sunday the sunshine is forecast to dominate - albeit with brisk 12C temperatures accompanying it.