Hawke's Bay wet weather makes way for freezing temperatures

MetService meteorologist John Law said the wet weather seen over the past week will dissipate, only to give way to freezing southerlies. Photo / Ian Cooper

The rain drenching Hawke's Bay is set to gradually diminish, only to make way for freezing temperatures as a southerly wind comes through.

MetService meteorologist John Law said the area of low pressure that has brought the wet weather is moving east over the next few days.

"We should find it becomes drier, but we're going to find a fairly strong southerly wind feeding up and across us. I think we are also going to find that temperatures are a fair bit cooler over the next few days."

He said temperatures would end up at freezing or just below freezing in some parts of Hawke's Bay.

"It's going to be a cold couple of days coming through, particularly Wednesday and Thursday this week."

He said Monday would still be wet, with showers expected for most of Hawke's Bay along with occasional heavy showers and thunder.

He said the showers would become mainly confined to the coastal areas, like the Mahia Peninsula, on Tuesday and Wednesday.

In Napier, the temperature high is expected to be 16C with a low of 7C on Tuesday, a high of 19C with a low of 2C on Wednesday, and 12C with a low of 2C again overnight on Thursday.

In Hastings, the temperature high is expected to be 15C with a low of 5C on Tuesday, a high of 18C with a low of 2C on Wednesday, and 10C with a low of 1C again overnight on Thursday.

In Wairoa, the temperature high is expected to be 16C with a low of 8C on Tuesday, a high of 18C with a low of 2C on Wednesday, and 10C with a low of 2C again overnight on Thursday.

He said the colder temperatures could lead to frost, so those with plants or livestock should be wary, and he advised people to drive to the conditions, with more showers to come.

Central Hawke's Bay District Council notified the public of several roads affected by the rain over the weekend with a Facebook post updated at midday on Sunday.

Among those affected in Central Hawke's Bay were Te Awa Road, Oueroa - with a large slip involving a number of sizable pine trees - large slips restricting access on Cooks Tooth Road, Kahuranaki Road and Wimbledon Road, flooding which closed Taylors Slab/Herrick Street and Hiranui Road, and surface flooding on Ongaonga- Waipukurau Road and Fairfield Road.