Weather watch for Hawke’s Bay: Strong winds, swells expected

Showers and intermittent rain are forecast for the weekend, with heavy rain from late Saturday into Sunday. Photo / Duncan Brown

Big weather is on the way with strong winds and significant swells expected to hit the Hawke’s Bay region on Thursday.

A strong wind watch has been issued for areas south of Hastings, effective from 1pm Thursday to 1am Friday, with gusts potentially reaching up to 100km/h in more elevated areas, according to MetService.

Significant swells of five to six metres are predicted for exposed areas like the Mahia Peninsula and Cape Kidnappers.

“They’re more of a risk heading into late Friday and Saturday, just as they slowly progress up to the East Coast there,” a MetService spokesman told Hawke’s Bay Today.

Napier and the north of Hastings may see less severe swells and there are no warnings currently in place.

However, a swell watch may still be issued, depending on how conditions evolve.

The wind watch may also be extended further north.

Looking ahead to the weekend, the low is expected to move east, but conditions won’t necessarily clear up.

“Hawke’s Bay is going to get a few more showers into the weekend. On late Saturday, early Sunday, there’s probably a period of reasonably heavy rain,” MetService‘s spokesman said.

“So it’s not looking super great, unfortunately.”

The latest forecast shows showers clearing on Thursday afternoon, with more rain returning on Friday afternoon.

Saturday and Sunday will stay unsettled, with cloudy skies and intermittent showers driven by persistent southerlies.