Sailor's warning was captured on the Marine Parade on Thursday morning. Photo / Alaina Chase
Sailor's warning was captured on the Marine Parade on Thursday morning. Photo / Alaina Chase
Thursday's flame-red sunrise may have been a shepherd's warning - but it also heralds a weekend of warm weather for the region.
MetService meteorologist Alwyn Bakker said the folklore of red rays in the morning being a sailor's or shepherd's warning still holds true, as it describes the phenomenon ofhow weather patterns move from west to east in Aotearoa and are illuminated by an east-rising sun.
"For a red-sky morning, the sun rises in the east and you find yourself standing between the sun and bad weather. Bad weather travels from west to east, so the bad weather is coming towards you," Bakker said.
"Generally, for a red sky morning, a cold front is approaching an area of warmer air. The warmer air can hold more moisture and in a moist atmosphere red and orange light wavelengths bend more strongly, giving us the red sky phenomenon," he said.
Red skies on Thursday morning, MetService says a misdirected sailor's warning. Photo / Bruce Curtis.
Thursday morning's brilliant red sky was due to a southerly front which brought with it light clouds and warm winds.
"A southerly wind, which approached Hawke's Bay on Thursday, will waft around until Friday evening, seeing temperatures dip to 17 C on Friday, before climbing back up to 20 C on the weekend," MetService meteorologist Lewis Ferris said.
"There will be some morning cloud with fine light winds on Saturday and Sunday, but the forecast is fine for Napier and the rest of Hawke's Bay," he said.
"Due to climate change and the earth warming, there is more moisture in the air so the frequency of these red sky warnings might increase," Bakker said.
"It's hard to say if climate change would make this saying redundant, as it is a classic piece of folk wisdom that is actually true and has been true, as long as people have been observing weather," he said.
Ferris confirmed the warm weather forecast for the region, which is timed to warm students and teachers into the school holidays.
"There's fine weather forecast for Saturday and Sunday across most of the North Island, including Hawke's Bay.
"This means families who are getting away for the weekend will have good travel weather, with rain returning to the Hawke's Bay region on Monday," Ferris said.
Red skies in the morning folklore could be impacted by global warming. Photo / Tracey Fraser
For those staying in the region, small swells and 20-degree highs promise "relatively summery" beach-going weather, which could see a dusting off of togs and boogie boards in coastal areas.
Weather Watch NZ warns that just because temperatures are warming, summer is not yet on spring's heels, with several months of unsettled weather to come.
According to Weather Watch, varied spring weather is to be expected, with winter and summer engaging in a tug-of-war of seasonal transition.
