Hawke's Bay's unwelcome frosts add to drought woes

Horses getting a run at Hastings Racecourse in nippy conditions on Friday morning. Photo / Paul Taylo

Farmers battling drought across Hawke's Bay say the bracing cold in f the mornings, where temperatures have been below zero, is the last thing they need right now.

Frost blanketed Hawke's Bay again on Friday morning, with another forecast for Saturday morning.

In Napier's CBD the overnight temperature was negative 0.3 degrees Celsius, while at Hawke's Bay Airport it was –1C, MetService Meteorologist Andrew James said.

Hastings woke to –0.9C, Wairoa just hit the positives with 0.3C and the Takapau Plains were again the coldest at –3.1C.

Coastal areas such as Napier, Hastings and Wairoa were colder on Friday than Thursday making it their coldest mornings of the year.

The frost is not good news for farmers who are still very much in drought, Federated Farmers Hawke's Bay President Jim Galloway said.

Galloway said the frost drops soil temperature which slows grass growth, the one thing farmers need right now.

Farmers are becoming "more and more worried every day" and most are in a "dire situation", he said.

The cool also had the potential to cause problems for early season lambs.

This early Hawke's Bay lamb spent last night inside due to the cold. Photo / Sarah Gray

CHB farmer Sarah Gray said their lambing season is sooner than other farmers but her May one was only found in the paddock because she heard him.

The new lamb spent Thursday night inside sheltering from the cold and being fed before returning to his mum in the morning.

Gray said they have a few other early lambs in the same paddock who are fighting fit.

Galloway said a decent dollop of rain last weekend and the ''Rapa Feed Run' had helped farmers feel better, but more substantial rain is needed very quickly.

The feed donations from elsewhere in the country have "quite literally been a lifesaver for some".

Rain is expected on Monday "but sheltering from the ranges means that it is likely not to be the relief everyone is hoping for," James said.

Without significant rain and grass growth soon, farmers will have to continue to rely on feed from elsewhere in the country to get them through the winter months.

Galloway said funding from the Government budget and Hawke's Bay Mayoral Drought Relief fund would help a significant number of people but is not enough to fix the problem.

Overnight temperatures are expected to be warmer over the weekend, with 5-6C expected overnight on Saturday heading into Sunday and lows in the double digits expected on Sunday heading into Monday.