Thunderstorm, hail warning lifted for northern Hawke's Bay

Dark clouds rolling in over Pakipaki near Hastings on Thursday. Photo / Warren Buckland

Metservice has lifted a thunderstorm warning for Mahia Peninsula, Nuhaka and Morere.

Severe thunderstorms were earlier expected to lie near the peninsula at 04.37 pm, and be accompanied by large hail.

But just after 5pm Metservice said confirmed the warning has been lifted for the Gisborne Hawke's Bay radar area.

"Thunderstorms have moved offshore and weakened," a spokesperson said.

MetService meteorologist Karl Loots said there was an "unstable air mass" and would be mostly felt in southern parts of the region.

"But going into tomorrow [Friday] it is going to be mainly fine."

He said it would be a frosty Friday morning, with the temperature getting down to around zero in Hastings and slightly higher in other areas like Napier.

"Those temperatures will be slightly warmer going into Saturday morning - but it will still be frosty particularly inland and in sheltered places."

He said it would be mainly fine conditions throughout the weekend in the region, without wet weather, and a high pressure system was causing some chilly mornings.

"What has happened is on Wednesday a cold front swept across the country and it is slowly being replaced by this high pressure system which is just leading to clear calm conditions overnight, which is optimal for temperature escaping overnight time and leading to these frosty conditions."

Last Wednesday morning, a freakish frost saw fruit growers scrambling to save their crops, particularly stone fruit and early varieties of grapes.

MetService reported last Wednesday morning was officially the coldest morning of the year at its weather station in Hastings, which reached a low of -1.8C.

Unofficial reports had the temperature plummet as low as -3.5C a few kilometres further south.