Cold snap to usher in weekend

This young lass enjoyed watching the surf and seagulls on Pacific Beach, Marine Parade, Napier, yesterday, while the weather was warm and breezy. Photo/Duncan Brown

Warm and windy weather is expected for the next couple of days, with a cold snap arriving just before the weekend.

WeatherWatch.co.nz forecaster Philip Duncan said westerly winds would bring warm weather to the region today and tomorrow; a welcome contrast to the deluge of rain last week.

Northwesterly winds were expected to turn westerly today, blowing strong in exposed places, and bringing mild temperatures with a daytime high of 19C, well up on the 14C recorded at mid-afternoon yesterday.

Some places in the region could reach 20C, Mr Duncan said.

MetService forecaster David Miller said "strong gusts" were expected today and tomorrow but it would not be cold.

Tonight's overnight low would be 12C.

Tomorrow was also expected to be "fairly warm" with a daytime high of 19C, which was "pretty warm for this time of year", and an overnight low of 11C.

However, a cold change would arrive on Thursday, bringing fairly strong winds and a daytime high of 14C.

Friday would be even colder, at just 11C.

We could expect brisk winds as a polar snap hampered the region.

However, Mr Duncan predicted warm temperatures would return in time for the weekend, with daytime highs up to 15C.