A warm and windy week ahead

Babich Wines assistant Paul Hipkin checking the oncoming bud burst on chardonnay vines at Gimblett Gravels, Hastings.

As Hawke's Bay eases into spring the region's agricultural and horticultural sectors are humming along with a week of warm and windy conditions ahead.

Metservice meteorologist Cameron Coutts said the week would be dry and windy with northwesterlies and warm temperatures.

"The northwesterlies are going to be strong on Thursday and possibly gales on Friday. All the rain is going to be west about the western ranges you might get the odd spot...in general most of Hawke's Bay will be relatively dry but windy."

Mr Coutts said overnight lows would also be slightly warmer with figures hovering about the ten degree range.

"In general it's going to be warm. We're looking at a high of 22 degrees yesterday for Napier and Hastings and 19 degrees on Thursday and then it's a little cooler on Friday and Saturday; looking to be about 17 degrees."

Hawke's Bay Winegrowers deputy chairman Xan Harding said the grape growing industry was nearing the end of its pruning season in a fairly normal fashion despite experiencing damp autumn months.

"I think everything's pretty much under control. We're just at the start of bud burst so early varieties are starting to leaf up now."

Mr Harding said the recent wet weather hadn't been too disruptive to winter pruning as vines were often planted on fast-draining soils.

Federated Farmers Hawke's Bay president Will Foley said the farming community was also coming out of the wet season with healthy flocks about the region.

"The reports have been good lamb survival, ewes have been in good condition so I guess everyone is looking forward to a good spring because of the moisture in the ground and good potential grass growth in the next couple of months."

Mr Foley said the wet ground should set farmers up for a good spring, in terms of moisture levels, and could potentially pay off when Hawke's Bay region dries in summer.

"I'm hoping all the underground aquifers and water in general has been recharged through the wet winter. If we hit a dry summer we often hear of bores or wells drying up,

"It will be interesting to see if we do turn dry this summer; if there's a lot more water underground to draw on because of the winter we've been through."

Hawke's Bay Fruitgrowers Association president Lesley Wilson said fine, dry weather this week was much-needed as fruit growers about the region hadn't yet recovered from the cyclones earlier this year.

"It's still very wet and I'd like a couple of weeks of fine weather to dry out Hawke's Bay but we can only work with what the weather gives us and we're grateful for the odd blue sky that we see."

As the season was either at green tip, with the first leaves coming through, or the beginning of blossoming Ms Wilson said fruit growers welcomed warm and windy week ahead.