Frosty: Coldest morning of winter recorded in Hawke’s Bay

Frost near Havelock North on Wednesday morning. Photo / Warren Buckland

The mercury dipped to -3.7C at one weather station in Hawke’s Bay on Wednesday morning, marking the coldest morning of the winter for the region.

Temperatures dropped below zero in parts of Hawke’s Bay over the weekend and frosts returned again on Wednesday morning.

A Hawke’s Bay Regional Council (HBRC) weather station at Ongaonga in Central Hawke’s Bay recorded -3.7C at 7.30am on Wednesday, while a MetService weather station at nearby Takapau recorded -2.8C around the same time.

Napier (-0.5C) and Hastings (-0.8C) also had chilly mornings but were not quite as cold as a few days prior.

MetService meteorologist Clare O’Connor said clear skies meant the temperature would be low again on Thursday morning in Hawke’s Bay, with potential frosts, but cloud cover would lift the temperature on Friday morning and Saturday morning.

“Clear skies allow everything to cool down whereas the cloud brings in an insulating layer,” O’Connor said.

“There is a bit of cloud and rain coming through - but nothing major [for the weekend].”

During nasty frosts, helicopters can be deployed above orchards and vineyards in Hawke’s Bay to help raise the temperature and protect crops.

Helicopters Hawke’s Bay confirmed they were not called out on Wednesday morning to battle any frosts, as it was still too early in the year for most crops to be susceptible to frost damage.

Plenty of people woke to find their windscreens covered in ice on Wednesday morning. Photo / Warren Buckland

However, some frost fans were being turned on around the region.

Frost fans (also known as wind machines) and helicopters push a layer of warm air downward to prevent frosts from destroying crops.

Federated Farmers Hawke’s Bay president Jim Galloway said frosts were both good and bad for farmers at this time of year.

“It is good that the cold kills bugs and that sort of thing in the soil, and with it being cold like this it means it is dry and you get better utilisation of your feed - you are not making mud - it is better when it is dry [at this time of year].”

He said sunny days which often followed frosts were also good as everyone enjoyed “some sun on your back”.

He said the problem with frosts was they can slow down grass growth.

He said, for farmers who have already had lambs, the cold was not a problem and the winter weather was more a risk to livestock when it was a combination of windy, cold and wet.

Gary Hamilton-Irvine is a Hawke’s Bay-based reporter who covers a range of news topics including business, councils, breaking news and cyclone recovery. He formerly worked at News Corp Australia.