Much of the rain and cloud that dampened the weekend in Hawke's Bay is set to continue into the start of this week.
Metservice meteorologist Kyle Lee said a frontal feature combined with low pressure would continue to bring quite a bit of rain to the North Island.
"As it starts tracking eastwards it does look likely to bring quite a bit of rain to Hawke's Bay on Sunday through to Monday as it flows more to the east where the region is a bit more exposed."
Wet conditions were expected to persist into the week as the weather system approached New Zealand and an associated front moved across the country.
"Monday looks like it's going to be fairly wet and on Tuesday it starts to improve as that low pressure moves off and returns to a more traditional westerly flow. We're only expecting scattered showers for Hawke's Bay on Tuesday."
Mr Lee said the Hawkes' Bay ranges had received 40mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours, with Hastings receiving 16mm and Napier 11mm.
There was a heavy rain watch in place for the Hawke's Bay ranges between 6am today to 3am Tuesday, when periods of high rainfall were expected, and temperatures were set to remain cool until Tuesday.
"It looks like the maximum for the next couple of days is around about 15C or 16C and the minimums aren't too bad because of all this moisture and humid flow around.
"The lows aren't expected to drop below 10C until Tuesday and then as the flow goes back to the northwest rising back up to around 20 degrees for Wednesday and Thursday."
The meteorologist said the wet weather conditions would start to ease on Tuesday, which would start with a few sunny spells before scattered showers in the afternoon.
"On Wednesday the cloud becomes a bit more widespread in Hawke's Bay and then from Thursday it's looking a lot better in terms of a general trend."
Mr Lee said from Wednesday onwards there would be a southwest change,which would bring showers, before the forecast turned fine for the end of the week.
The weather forecast for Thursday was fine with a chance of early showers and southwesterlies, set to die out in the afternoon.
Friday was also forecast to be fine with northwesterlies and a high of 22C, with the good weather likely to continue into at least the early part of the weekend.
At the Bostock New Zealand Spring Racing Carnival held at the Hastings racecourse on Saturday the Livamol Classic was abandoned just before 4pm after rainfall raised safety concerns for horses and jockeys.