The still over Ahuriri Estuary in Napier heading into a weekend of mild but deteriorating weather, according to the forecast. Photo / Paul Taylor
The still over Ahuriri Estuary in Napier heading into a weekend of mild but deteriorating weather, according to the forecast. Photo / Paul Taylor
Two weather severe weather warnings were in place today for parts of Hawke's Bay and the East Coast, ushering in some of the region's traditionally harshest weeks of winter.
One was for northwest winds up to gale force in areas south of Hastings to Wellington in the period from 2amto 7pm on Saturday, while in the north there was a warning for 70-100mm of rain, with up 20mm/h possible in some places from Eastern Bay of Plenty to the ranges in the Gisborne-East Coast region.
The regional forecast for Hawke's Bay for the first week of the school holidays, which started with break-up this afternoon, is mainly for showers, rain or wind, although a day of mainly fine weather was forecast for midweek.
But the forecast was for mild temperatures for the weekend, which has a series of sporting features, including Hawke's Bay club rugby semifinals on Saturday, a seven-race meeting in Hastings on Saturday, and a Sunday afternoon Napier City Rovers Chatham Cup quarter-final in Napier.
National weather agency MetService forecast temperatures in the twin cities ranging from highs of up to 20C to lows of about 8C during the weekend and up to 19C in Wairoa, but cooler at Dannevirke, ranging from 14-16C.
Latest statistics show that while rainfall in much of Hawke's Bay has been normal or lower than average in June-July, rainfall for the year to date is still mainly well above average.
At Hawke's Bay Airport the 626mm this year to Thursday was more than 40 per cent above average, as was the 674mm recorded on the Takapau Plains of Central Hawke's Bay, and at Mahia the 866mm was 23 per cent above average. The 441mm in Hastings was just 4 per cent above average.
Rainfall across 12 Hawke's Bay Regional Council recording stations on the Heretaunga and Ruataniwha plains last month was mainly under 70 per cent of the June average.
