Hawke's Bay rain less than half November average

Rain in Napier in August, but for most of the year it's the figures coming down, not the rain. Photo / File

Hawke's Bay seems likely to end the year with below average rainfall for the 12 months, according to latest regional council and MetService statistics.

November rainfall in Hawke's Bay was less than half the average for the month in most areas — less than 40 per cent throughout Hastings District, Napier and Central Hawke's Bay — and monthly rainfall in much of the region has been below average for most of the year.

The major exception was October when rainfall was double the October average, the only period of above average rainfall since three months above average last November-January.

Of stations where November rainfall averages over 200mm, Parks Peak, in the Ruahine Ranges, was the driest with 65mm, being 25 per cent of November average 255mm, while, of those averaging under 200mm, the driest were in Southern Hawke's Bay, including Waipoapoa, where the 16.5mm represented just 15 per cent of the November average.

Rainfall across five recordings in Southern Hawke's Bay showed the area's rainfall was just 29 per cent of the November average.

November was a very dry month across Hawke's Bay. Photo / HBRC

MetService figures show rainfall this year at Hawke's Bay Airport, north of Napier, is about 75 per cent of the average for the year, with November figures across the Heretaunga and Ruataniwha plains' for November being less than 40 per cent of the monthly average.

The heaviest November rainfall was the 175mm at Mt Manuoha in the Waikaremoana area, about 67 per cent of its November average.

Hastings and Napier temperatures on Sunday, at just under 29C, were the warmest recorded by Metservice throughout New Zealand Napier, and the forecast is for daily highs in the high 20s and low 30s for the remainder of the week.