Havelock North carnival to escape wild weekend weather

Following a week of sunny skies, and high temperatures, Hawke's Bay is in for a weekend of wild weather.

Luckily however, the inaugural Havelock North Carnival which begins this morning could escape unscathed from the worst of it.

Havelock North Business Association marketing manager Aimee Stewart, said they were hoping for fine weather with no wind.

"This is what we have asked the weather gods for and we have heard there is some potential rain about but we do not think it will happen. We live in Hawke's Bay surely it will be a sunny day," Ms Stewart said.

She said the carnival was bigger and better this year with quality food stalls, buskers and live performances on a centralised stage, a busy kids zone and the introduction of the Piece-Makers market and the Havelock Handmade market to the event.

"We have built it up more this year and tried to step it up another notch," she said.

Although MetService was predicting spells of rain, and even hail, by running from 10am to 3pm the carnival could miss the worst of today's weather.

MetService was predicting a turbulent day for most areas in Hawke's Bay, due to a front which moved over the region last night.

Metservice meteorgolist Claire Flynn said they were forecasting brief showers early this morning which would become fine later, with northwesterlies changing to southerlies.

This afternoon however showers were expected to develop especially inland, and could possibly become heavy with hail.

Ms Flynn said the showers later today could start "popping up" mid afternoon.

The sudden rain after a week of fine weather was due to a front moving up the country.

This would also bring cooler temperatures to most people, Ms Flynn said.

Falling from yesterday's high of 22C, today would only reach 17C before dropping to a low of 5C overnight.

Tomorrow's weather was expected to be quite calm by comparison. Cloudy periods were expected and a few showers, with southerlies. Temperatures were only expected to reach a high of 15C.

The weather in Central Hawke's Bay was expected to be similar, although a couple of degrees cooler.

Following a weekend of scattered rain, the period of fine weather was set to come back early next week.

On Monday there would be a few showers, but these would clear, and southwesterlies would die out. It was expected there would be another high of 15C, with an overnight low of 4C.