Spring's arrived: Hawke's Bay to be hottest spot in NZ this weekend

A warm Hawke's Bay weekend shows spring is near. Photo / Paul Taylor

Hawke's Bay is set to be the hottest place in a warm country over the weekend as spring arrives early.

It may still technically be winter in August for a few more days but Hawke's Bay's weekend will certainly feel like spring.

From Friday until Monday the weather will be sunny and fine and on Sunday Napier and Hastings will be the hottest in the country with a forecast of 21C, MetService forecaster Gerard Bellam said.

Wairoa will be much the same at 20C and Waipukurau slightly cooler at 17C but there will be sun throughout the region.

The westerly flow moving through the region means the warm weather will be accompanied by breezy and maybe gusty north-westerly or westerly winds.

"It's good weather to get your large washing items like sheets and duvets out," Bellam said.

Saturday is warm too at 19C in Napier and Hastings, 18C in Wairoa and 17C in Waipukurau.

The fine weather continues into the following week with a sunny Monday of 20C in Napier, Hastings and Wairoa and 18C in Waipukurau.

This is followed by some showers on Tuesday but the warm weather returns on Wednesday.

The warm weekend follows a slightly cooler week which had showers throughout.

The month of August has been slightly drier than normal but showers this week have helped, Bellam said.