Rain set to linger, with gusts up to 70km/h

Pedestrians hurry across Tennyson St, Napier, in the rain yesterday. Photo / Paul Taylor

The rain which arrived like clockwork on Labour Day is set to linger in Hawke's Bay for the rest of the week.

MetService meteorologist Philippa Murdoch said it would be "showery most of the time, with some fine breaks" in the region this week.

Scattered rain is expected to develop later today, with a chance of heavy falls about the ranges tonight, and gusty northerly winds also developing.

Winds of about 30km/h are expected inland, gusting stronger out to sea.

Strong winds "could clip Napier" at speeds of up to 60km/h, and gusts of up to 70km/h are possible about the ranges.

"There's lots happening [today] with a trough moving east over the country."

Early rain tomorrow would give way to mainly fine weather, although the strong, gusty westerlies would persist.

Showers and southerlies are expected on Thursday, with Friday bringing high cloud, late showers and northwesterlies strengthening again.

But the outlook for the weekend is fine, with Sunday the pick of the week at 23C.

Hastings proved a city of extremes during Labour Weekend, ranked the fourth hottest and third coldest city by MetService in the same day on Saturday, for reaching highs and lows of 21.3C and 1.9C respectively. The city was also ranked the wettest city in the country with 3.2mm of rainfall.