Summer hail expected today in Hawke's Bay

Havelock North gets a battering after a downpour of hail. Photo / Warren Buckland

Hawke's Bay's changeable start to summer is expected to throw another curve ball today, with hail and thunderstorms possible.

Following two sunny days with temperatures hitting 25 and 27 degrees, Hawke's Bay's weather is set for a southerly change today with MetService meteorologist Claire Flynn warning of potential thunderstorms.

"We do have a high risk of thunderstorms inland and the coast has a moderate risk of thunderstorms. So, you could see hail, if you happen to be under one of those.

"Basically, across the region today we are expecting showers to come through with some thunderstorms and there could be hail with that as well.

"There's some patchy rain around Hawke's Bay at the moment but the actual front will be coming through closer to midday and the risk of thunderstorms will be this afternoon and evening."

The risk of thunderstorms was considered high about inland parts of Hawkes Bay remained 'high' on the Metservice website.

"There is a low risk that some of the thunderstorms in these areas could become SEVERE producing localised downpours of over 25mm per hour, hail of 10 to 20mm diameter and possibly significant hail accumulations."

The cold front would be with it southerly winds, forcing daytime highs down to about 20c.

"It will be a little bit windy as well. For Hawke's Bay, you get your hottest temperatures with westerly winds and your coolest temperatures with southerly winds which are coming in straight off the sea."

Southerlies will persist tomorrow, keeping temperatures to a similar 20c. Tomorrow will start cloudy with a change of showers before fining up in the afternoon.

To top things off, the MetService website's pollen count says the pollen count is expected to be "high".

The full pollen season in New Zealand is approximately 34 weeks long and varies in its timings each year - It begins in July or August with the Pinus season and continues into August/September with deciduous trees like oaks, elm, birches and other deciduous trees.

The major pollen hazard at present is from grass, olive trees, privets and plantain.

It's a much better outlook for the weekend with sunny skies and southerlies dying out.

"Friday will start with a few showers, but then it will fine up in the afternoon, the showers will move up to the Wairoa district where they will gradually die out.

There will be strong southerlies but they will gradually be dying out as well. On Saturday it will be fine. On Sunday there will be light winds and a high of 22C in Napier, 25C for Hastings."

Although Hawke's Bay won't be the hottest region in the country, residents are just happy to see some sunshine.