Hawke's Bay can expect chilly and typical winter weather for the rest of this week despite early forecasts for gale-force winds.
The winds reached a peak of 65km/h on the Takapau Plains near Dannevirke soon after midday yesterday, while a Hawke's Bay Airport peak of 46km/h had been reached about an hour earlier.
More was forecast for Southern Hawke's Bay today, with a definite morning chill in the air with a backdrop of snow on the Kaweka Ranges, although the temperature on the plains is not expected to go below zero this week.
Maximum temperatures in Napier and Hastings yesterday were around 14C, and were expected to peak slightly warmer from today to Friday, rising to a 22C maximum forecast for Hastings on Saturday.
There is also a forecast for strong winds in the mountains, tipped to hit 125km/h on Saturday atop Kaweka J, the high-point at 1724m.