Hawke’s Bay’s long weekend shaping as a cracker, swells lashing the coast set to ease

Hawke’s Bay is set to get the warmest weather in the country on the King’s Birthday long weekend.

Temperatures are expected to be in the low 20s ffom Thursday to Saturday, the first day of winter.

Westshore in Napier, pictured in the morning late-May light. Photo / Paul Taylor

MetService Meteorologist Ngaire Wotherspoon said Hawke’s Bay would be the warmest place in the country over the long weekend despite the cooler temperatures felt last weekend.

“We do have a break on the horizon from these cold temperatures, ironically as we are heading into winter.

“You have got the best pick out of everywhere.”

For the next few days ahead, Wotherspoon said it was “business as usual” until Wednesday with showers expected late in the evening with strong winds offshore and in Southern Hawke’s Bay.

Overnight temperatures were expected to be around 5C to 8C throughout the week, with daytime temperatures from Tuesday to Thursday sitting between 16C and 18C.

South-westerly winds driving larger swells were expected across the North Island over the next few days.

Swells pictured from Tangoio, Hawke's Bay. Photo / Paul Taylor

Wotherspoon said there was some “quite intense stuff off the coast of Hawke’s Bay” on Sunday and Monday, and that was expected to back off over the next couple of days.

She said it was important to be careful if planning on going out on the water as the region would still see “some quite big waves”, which could be dangerous if you were not prepared.

Michaela Gower joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2023 and is based out of the Hastings and Central Hawke’s Bay newsrooms. She covers Dannevirke and Hawke’s Bay news and has a love for sharing stories about farming and rural communities.