Hawke’s Bay in for a potentially record-breaking weekend of warm weather

A kite surfer at Ahuriri estuary in Napier. Warm weather is expected across Hawke's Bay for the weekend. Photo / Paul Taylor

Hawke’s Bay is in for what MetService is predicting as a warm weekend poised to break records despite the rest of the country being warned of wet weather.

MetService meteorologist Clare O’Connor said the region is set to be the hottest in the country and the temperature on Sunday would need to reach higher than 22.2C to beat the record set in 1973.

“We are interested in those because the forecast for Napier for Sunday is 22C, and if that does eventuate, that would make the new record for Napier for August for highest temperatures.”

She said if it did reach 22C but not quite the record-breaking number needed the temperature would be in the top five highs for August and they were “keeping a keen eye on that one”.

A kite surfer at Ahuriri estuary in Napier. Warm weather is expected across Hawke's Bay for the weekend. Photo / Paul Taylor

“There is overall a warm air mass moving over the whole country, developing a northwesterly flow, bringing warm air from the Tasman Sea.”

O’Connor said it would be a “good recipe” to fetch the higher temperatures predicted and Saturday in Hastings and Napier was expected to be 20C.

She said the warmer weather also came with higher overnight temperatures of about 13C and patches of rain were expected.

The weather was expected to shift on Sunday night and the region would see a southerly change, which was likely to bring rain.

She said looking ahead to Sunday night and Monday, temperatures would be “chillier, below 10C, but we are not talking freezing - more around 8C to 9C.”

A strong wind watch had also been issued for the region from 11pm Saturday to 6pm Sunday for the northwesterly wind.

She said there would be possible gusts of wind up to 100km/h, however, that would not be felt in the urban areas of Hastings and Napier.

“If you are out and about in an exposed hilltop it will be gusty.”

Looking ahead, the start of the week the temperatures are expected to be about 15C on Monday and 12C on Tuesday with overnight frosts.

“It is going to feel colder, especially in comparison to what you might be seeing on Sunday.”

Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings and Central Hawke’s Bay newsrooms. She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and has a love for sharing stories about farming and rural communities.