Crews at the ready as roads start to melt under Hawke's Bay heat

Stressed roads are easily damaged when temperatures hit 30 C. PHOTO/DUNCAN BROWN

Temperatures in the 30s this week mean more work for Quality Roading Services (QRS) routine maintenance manager Gary Jones.

He said when temperatures hit the 30s roads started to melt. Yesterday 33C was recorded at Hawke's Bay Airport.

Not all bitumen is created equal so road melting was inconsistent.

He said roads were built with varying amounts of bitumen and the bitumen itself had additives added depending on engineering requirements.

With roads turning liquid and heavy traffic "something has got to give" and roads needed repair.

"We have to get on to surface wear quite smartly to stop it going any further - it will rip all of the seal off and starts affecting the actual road construction."

The increased workload was expected and melting spots were already identified from previous summers, usually at high stress areas such as steep sections or tight bends.

Stone chips are spread and rolled into the liquid lanes, consolidating the road.

MetService meteorologist Tuporo Marsters said today would be hot and sunny with high cloud increasing. Northwesterly winds between 31km and 39km were expected, bringing a high of 32C to Napier and Hastings.

The overnight low will be 17C.

Friday brings showers before dawn and cloudy periods with Hawke's Bay temperatures in the high 20s with winds "dying out".

Saturday will be mainly fine with winds from the north and a cooler high in the mid 20s.

Sunday will have brief rain in the afternoon "and it's gone", leaving mainly fine weather with northwesterlies taking temperatures to 30C.

He said Hawke's Bay's warm temperatures made it "one of the better places to be" this week with Invercargill "battered" by cool westerlies.

Hot dry weather on the East Coast has resulted in a total fire ban imposed across Hawke's Bay and Gisborne.

Gas is the only permissible flame but people should take extra care with activities that could spark a flame such as off-road vehicles, machinery and mowers.