Hawke's Bay residents need to brace themselves for a weekend of rain, wind and thunderstorms.
A low pressure system over Northland, which has caused a rainy few days in Hawke's Bay, will move southeast bringing stormy weather to the region.
MetService meteorologist Brian Mercer said yesterday evening was overcast with a few showers and strong northeast winds about the coast.
These were expected to ease overnight and turn southwesterly today with isolated showers becoming frequent and widespread with thunder and heavy rainfalls this afternoon.
This should ease by late evening and into tomorrow with showers in the afternoon travelling across the region and southwest winds continuing, he said.
"Sunday will be the best day of the weekend."
Monday and Tuesday are set to be similar with cloud, southwest winds and a few showers.
"It's not going to be super good but it's not going to be terribly unpleasant . . . it's typical winter weather," Mr Mercer said.
The next few days will have maximum temperatures of 16-17C and overnight lows slowly decreasing from 11C last night to 8C tonight, 4C tomorrow and 2C on Monday and a frost.
The low pressure system was expected to move southeast at midnight last night and away from the country today.
Sunday to Tuesday's weather would be due to leftover moisture from the system, he said.
Culinary connoisseurs will still be able to enjoy this weekend's Winter Food and Wine Classic! (F.A.W.C!) events with only one being held outside.
Organiser Annie Dundas said the Tora Tora Tora, Low N Slow V Yakitori meal at Bareknuckle BBQ tomorrow will be held outside but they have wet weather contingencies such as large covers so rain would not be a problem.
Most of this weekend's events had already sold out but people could always make the most of the bad weather by eating inside at one of the F.A.W.C! by 5 participants, she said.
The weather would also not affect the Waitangi Estuary Wetlands Community Planting Day this morning.
Organiser Neil Eagles said the planting of 2200 trees at the reserve by Waitangi Estuary would go ahead regardless of the weather because the trees had already arrived and needed to go in the ground.
He only expected a few drizzly showers in the morning and hoped people would not be put off by this.
"It will be great for the plants to get a drink before they go in the ground."
Wet and windy weather on Thursday night caused a slip on Waimarama Rd which covered an entire lane and was cleaned up by Fulton Hogan about 8.30am yesterday.