Hawke’s Bay under weather watch with severe thunderstorms, strong winds forecast

Stormy weather is bearing down on Hawke’s Bay as the region prepares for one of its biggest events of the year.

Metservice on Monday afternoon posted two warnings for Hawke’s Bay, including the possibility of thunderstorms, heavy rain and wind mainly in western areas and a severe weather watch for a period from 3am to 5pm tomorrow for south of Hastings into the Tararua District.

The service warned “west to northwest winds may approach severe gale in exposed places”.

It comes as the six-day Horse of the Year Show gets under way on Tuesday. The event was expected to see good weather in Hastings from Wednesday to Saturday.

The week coincides with the 36th anniversary of Cyclone Bola, which smashed Hawke’s Bay from March 6 to 8, 1988.

This week began well, with a nationwide high of 25.5C recorded at Hawke’s Bay Airport on Sunday. By 1pm on Monday, Hawke’s Bay had both the warmest temperature in the country - 27.8C in Hastings - and the highest wind gust of 52 knots, recorded at Mahia.

But by 6pm Monday, Metservice was reporting rain moving to the north through the Bay. The fast-moving front was expected to be of short duration. One southern Hawke’s Bay gauge had recorded 5mm of rain by late afternoon.