Winds faster than speed limit due to hit Napier-Taupō road

Napier Beach. The coastal areas may not be affected as much by a heavy rain watch for Hawke's Bay opening this weekend, but they will still get stiff wind and rain. Photo / Paul Taylor

Travellers are being warned gusty winds up to 100km/h will hit the Napier-Taupō Rd this weekend.

MetService has released a heavy rain watch for Hawke's Bay from 10am tomorrow until 1am Saturday.

MetService meteorologist Dan Corrigan said a low-pressure system north of the North Island would bring strengthening southeasterly winds and heavy rain.

He said Hawke's Bay would avoid the worst of the approaching wind gusts that would otherwise qualify the region for a wind watch like other parts of the North Island, but some gusts up to 100km/h would affect the Napier-Taupō Rd and the inland ranges tomorrow.

"For people travelling over the Napier Taupō Road, that is something that would be good to be wary of, as it could get quite strong and gusty driving over that road so extra caution is recommended," Corrigan said.

"Places like Napier, Hastings, Waipukurau, Wairoa, aren't going to see those severe wind gusts."

He said the rain was likely to be heavier in the ranges rather than the urban centres in Hawke's Bay and people living near rivers needed to watch out for rapidly rising waters.

He said the region will have high temperatures around 17C or 18C, close to the November average, before Napier and Hastings jump to highs of 28C on Saturday. Wairoa will have a high of 26C.

"The weather system is bringing warmer air down from the north," he said.

"There is going to be easterly winds before and after it arrives, and then after that rain is going through. We are going to have northerly winds that are going to bring those warmer temperatures in."