Scorching weather finally arrives

Loma Keong of Havelock North keeps in the shade on Te Mata Rd, Havelock North. Photo / Duncan Brown

Hawke's Bay has finally been given a blast of sunshine and it's set to remain for the rest of the week with highs reaching the 30s.

Metservice meteorologist Claire Flynn said Napier had reached a high of 29.7C by midday yesterday, with Hastings not far behind and Wairoa on 28C.

"The sunshine is set to stick around for most of the week, we do have a risk that some thunderstorms might occur around the ranges, but that's unlikely to affect the urban areas," she said.

"For today it's going to be mostly fine, but again a few showers might drizzle around the ranges. Temperatures in Napier are set to reach 32C and Hastings will hit between 29-30C."

Flynn said the only day that would see a slight change was Friday.

"It's not going to be anything too terrible, it will start off find but then there's a change to southerlies in the afternoon and that's most likely to bring some showers to Napier, but they won't be heavy.

"It will knock a few degrees off the temperature, so we're looking at about 27C, it's still going to be really warm, but just not sitting in the 30s like usual."

The fine weather would return on Saturday and would continue throughout the weekend as well as Monday.

"It'll be between 25-26C on Saturday, northwesterly winds will be returning on Sunday so that's when we see those hot temperatures returning, so it'll get up to 31-32C again."

Hawke's Bay was one of few regions to experience fine weather in the New Year, with many other areas welcoming 2019 with showers, cloud and gale-force winds.

Late last year a Niwa expert said that New Zealand was sitting between La Nina and El Nino, which is why the weather patterns were so sporadic and unpredictable.

WeatherWatch's head forecaster, Philip Duncan, said while the weather hadn't been perfect for holidaymakers, it was ideal for fruit growers, farmers and vineyards.

"It's been a real mixed bag, one week it will be beautiful, sunny weather, the next week it will be drizzling with thunderstorms and then the week after it might be windy," he said.