Summer on the horizon in Hawke's Bay as temperatures predicted to soar

Expect a fantastic weekend, as Hawke's Bay is set to hit 30C. Photo / Warren Buckland

Hawke's Bay temperatures are set to skyrocket over the weekend, with inland areas expecting highs around 30C.

MetService Meteorologist Peter Little said the warm weather is caused by a large area of high pressure sitting over the Tasman Sea.

"Very warm air from Australia is coming round the flank of that high and it is moving up over New Zealand."

Saturday will be comparatively cool, with possible showers in the morning, and highs around 20C, which Little said was average for this time of year.

"Then on Sunday, we have a bit more of a westerly breeze, especially places away from the coast will get quite warm.

"You could see temperatures pushing up to about 30C."

The warm weather will continue into the early next week, Monday will see a high of 29C, and Tuesday 27C.

"Generally speaking for the next couple of weeks it is looking like temperatures will be above average for the east of the North Island."

With the Mitre10 MEGA walk on Sunday, event managers are advising people to slip, slop, slap and wrap.

Advertising and events co-ordinator Pip George said there will be extra water and sunblock on hand, and medics will ensure there are enough ice packs as well.

Last year's Mitre 10 MEGA walk. Photo / File

"We want people to be safe."

Currently around 600 people are signed up for the MEGA walk, which raises money for The Acorn Project, but George said traditionally the bulk of registrations happened late.

"We probably get another 400-500 on average in the last couple of days."

People can register to take part right up until the start of the event.

Last year the wind made it difficult for people to walk the course.

"It was gale force winds, it was like walking on the spot it was that windy, so to not have that this year is very exciting."

It is a lucky break for the MEGA walk, after several residents around Hastings and Havelock North reported waking up to strong winds in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Little said Cape Kidnappers, the closest weather station to Havelock North, recorded gusts of 81km/h between 2am and 3am on Thursday.

He said during the same period, the Napier station recorded much lighter winds, at 50km/h.

"Some areas would have experienced brief strong winds.

"But the front which went across Hawke's Bay in the early hours of the morning, it was a lot stronger when it was further south.

"Eastern parts of the South Island yesterday the temperatures dropped 10 degrees in half an hour and saw winds gusting over 100km/h."