More rain on the way in Hawke's Bay

Dark clouds descend on Marine Parade in Napier. Photo / Paul Taylor

Farmers are looking forward to another bout of rain after a Sunday break which Federated Farmers president Jim Galloway describes as "perfect" after the first above-average month of rain in most of Hawke's Bay since last October

MetService forecasts were predicting showers and rain for much of this week, starting from late Monday afternoon, across much of Hawke's Bay.

Galloway's own property west of Hastings has in the last week had just under 120mm while Hawke's Bay Regional Council figures show falls exceeding 300mm in some areas of the crucial river system in the western ranges.

Rainfall at key recording stations at Mahia, Wairoa, Hawke's Bay Airport, Hastings and on Takapau Plains southwest of Waipukurau had by Sunday all exceeded June averages, but were still well short of January-June averages.

Highlighting the deficit was the 225mm at the airport, compared with a January-June average of 415mmn.

Temperatures during the week were also expected to be no higher than 13deg, as the region feels some impact from the snow conditions forecast for the Central Plateau.