Hottest in the country: Hawke's Bay hits new highs, hotter than Rarotonga

Afghanistan via Palmerston North visitors Qudrat Rajab Ali with children (left) Irfan Ali Qudrat, 11 months, and Binyamin Qudrat, 8, enjoying Hastings balmy weather on Labour Day. Photo / Paul Taylor

Hawke's Bay has hit new highs, temperature-wise, and there's no relief in sight for this week.

MetService forecaster Gerard Bellam said Napier, at 3pm on Monday, was the hottest in the country, reaching 25.5C and the airport sitting at 25.2C.

Not just happy with imparting those glad tidings, he said Napier was hotter than Rarotonga.

"Who wants to go to Cook Islands when you can have higher temperatures in Napier?"

Raro, at the same time, was sitting at 25.3C, and Napier pipped it to the post by .2C he said.

"This is five degrees above normal for late October."

For the rest of the week, get ready to get uncomfortable, Hawke's Bay - as at no point this week will the overnight temperatures hit single digits.

MetService meteorologist Andy Best said the temperature in the region this week will be "unseasonably warm, muggy," and that's just at night.

But daytime temperatures will also be 4C to 6C warmer than normal due to warm, humid, tropical air, hovering above the country.

"With moist air flowing southwards over the country from the tropics, parts of the North Island from Waikato to the Kāpiti Coast will experience muggy nights from tonight through Thursday night," Best said.

People enjoying a game of football while roasting themselves in the sun at Park Island, Napier. Photo / Paul Taylor

"Conditions are also expected to become more unsettled towards the end of the week as a frontal system crosses the North Island."

Normally around this time of the year daytime temperatures hover around the 19C mark for Napier and Hastings with overnight lows dipping to 8C to 9C, he said.

However, temperatures are expected to stay in the mid-20s for Napier and Hastings for most of the week, with Napier and Hastings expected to hit 25C on Tuesday, and overnight lows hitting 15C in Napier and 13C in Hastings.

"Morning cloud and northerly breezes means yet another warm, muggy night."

Scattered rain developing Wednesday evening, along with light winds means more of the same high temperatures and uncomfortable nights.

Napier and Hastings are expected to hit a high of 26C, and overnight lows of 14C.

Best said Thursday was expected to be mostly cloudy with occasional rain and northerly breezes, but "still quite muggy".

But the temperature is expected to drop slightly with daytime temperatures expected to reach 21C in Napier and Hastings, and overnight lows expected to reach 14C in both.

Showers are expected on Friday morning, and it's expected to clear in the afternoon, and northerlies change to westerlies.

Daytime temperatures in both Napier and Hastings is expected to be 22C and overnight low is expected to be 12C on Friday.