A severe weather watch has been issued for Hawke's Bay and surrounding areas this afternoon by MetService.
Central and southern New Zealand are forecast to have west to southwesterly gales, with a possibility of severe gale westerlies in Wairarapa and Hawke's Bay tonight and Friday morning.
MetService reported people in the Wairarapa, Hawke's Bay south of Napier and the Tararua District should keep up to date with forecasts in case parts of the weather watch were upgraded to a warning or further areas were added.
MetService meteorologist Cameron Coutts said the Bay would experience strong winds overnight and early Friday, as well as from Friday evening until Saturday morning.
The threat of northwest gales becoming severe about South Taranaki across to Taihape and Hawke's Bay today has passed and so these watches, along with the threat of heavy rain for central parts of New Zealand, have been lifted.