Hawke's Bay weather: A little rain goes a long way, but it's not enough

Autumn leaves, a grey sky and a bit of moisture in Hastings, but not a drought-breaker. PHOTO/Paul Taylor

Rain in Hawke's Bay late on Friday was expected to bring little relief to drought-stricken farmers in the region.

MetService meteorologist Tuporo Marsters said the rain was heaviest in Wairarapa and the Tararua districts, where a warning of heavy rain had been put in place to mid-morning tomorrow.

The warning was for rain up to 120mm south of Akitio, mainly in Wairarapa, he said, but a late afternoon band of mainly light rain had spread north through Hawke's Bay to Wairoa.

Prospects were for some more showers, with temperatures still warm, although dropping from the 24C maximums of Friday to 19C over the weekend, and minimums of 10C overnight.

Rain on the Tapaua Plains was the first for more than a fortnight, with just 12mm previously recorded for a month, well short of the recording station's March average of 87mm.

The outlook for the last week of March in Hawke's Bay was mainly "dry", he said.