More rain on the way after heaviest falls in Napier and Hastings for two months

The mist in Napier just before midday. Photo / Doug Laing

Sports fans heading to tournament week finals, or the Hawke's Bay Magpies national rugby championship match in Napier on Friday, may have to bring out the wet-weather gear.

But it might not go as far as gumboots with playing fields still in good condition after rain which was minimal, but still the heaviest in two months.

MetService is forecasting rain during the day, which includes the final of the national under-15 secondary schools rugby championships at Napier Boys High School, while southwesterlies and some showers are expected during the Mitre 10 Cup match between the Magpies and the Southland Stags at McLean Park, starting at 5.45pm.

Finer weather with breezes is forecast for Saturday, followed by more rain in the Hawke's Bay region on Sunday.

On Thursday the Napier and Hastings area had its heaviest rain in more than two months, with 20mm recorded in Hastings between midnight and 8am, and 11.8mm falling in the same eight hours at Hawke's Bay Airport, just north of Napier.

It was the heaviest single day's rainfall at either recording station in the nine weeks since falls of more than 30mm on July 4.

Mist and fog which descended on Napier late-morning, enshrouding the Hospital and Bluff hills, did not cause any significant problems for flights at the airport which remained open throughout the day.

Napier BHS principal Matt Bertram said it had been "all hands on deck" at the school with grounds and other staff preparing and maintaining fields which had had up to three games a day each day since the rugby tournament started on Monday.

It included re-marking fields on Tuesday in anticipation of rain for the rest of the week, but there had been little from the overnight Wednesday-Thursday rain.

"I've still got shine on my shoes," he said after watching the semifinals.