Summer started with a bang in Hawke's Bay over the weekend with temperatures hitting the mid to high 20s, and the heat is set to continue through this week.
The conditions proved perfect for the Destination Hawke's Bay Downtown Festival yesterday, with punters seeking the shade, and at the Christmas Parade in Waipukurau on Saturday local firefighters turned on the hoses at Russell Park to help refresh those wilting in the mid-afternoon heat.
Parade co-organiser Shelly Birdsall said the temperature may have contributed to fewer visitors attending this year's event than previous years, which was held at 3pm to encourage families to join the festivities.
Read more: Downtown Festival a hit
While the children enjoyed the cool, wet foam spray from the firefighters, as the afternoon progressed a thunderstorm hit with heavy rain, which had been a feature of the Hawke's Bay region's weather all week.