Wet weather on the cards for Hawke's Bay

Azariyah McRoberts-Tapara, 3, of Hastings enjoys the fountain near the National Aquarium of New Zealand. Photo / Warren Buckland

Hawke's Bay is still drying out after five days of heavy rain, but the region experienced its first dose of Spring weather over the weekend.

Will it last? Yes. But not for long.

MetService Meteorologist Andy Best said sunshine and warm temperatures would linger for most of Monday before things take a slightly tropical turn.

Hawke's Bay reached a high of 21C yesterday and Monday was predicted to be slightly cloudy with northerly breezes and a high of 22C in Napier.

"It'll be quite warm because we're still under that northerly flow, but there will be some rain developing on Monday night and will continue into Tuesday morning."

"There's a low pressure system which is moving onto the South Island on Monday which will be moving over the south-east of the country during the course of Tuesday. That won't really affect the Hawke's Bay region until Tuesday afternoon.

It will bring slightly cooler overnight temperatures."

Residents would have to keep their umbrellas handy for most of the day, as scattered rain will linger and wouldn't ease off until Tuesday evening.

"It's going to be quite muggy, it's not going to be cold, there's going to be light winds, so it's looking like a high of 17C."

Best said a sub-tropical low would then move down the North Island, which would drag down both "moist and humid" temperatures as well as north-easterlies on to both Gisborne and Hawke's Bay.

"That low will drift east on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and it will weaken considerably by Friday."

"Wednesday, we'll see some southerlies coming through, but it's not a southerly that will bring much of a cold change, we're looking at high similar to Tuesday, but they will die out relatively quickly."

Best said the rain would be nothing compared to the heavy weather event two weeks ago.

"Just a few scattered showers, really."

"There will be a few showers on Thursday which will clear within the course of the day, and the temperatures will go up a bit, a warmer 19C."

Best said the drizzly weather would continue into the weekend, but said warmer temperatures would continue to linger throughout the week.