Showers but then back to sunshine

Napier Hill, a picture of perfection during a blistering day in the Bay. Photo / Paul Taylor

The pre-summer stunners continue to shine on the Bay, with Wairoa reaching a record maximum temperature for October since 1991 - just shy of the nation's high, with Kaikoura hitting 32C.

Wairoa recorded a scorching 31C yesterday, while Napier hit a cooler 24C and Hastings reached 28C.

MetService meteorologist Ciaran Doolin said a strong northwesterly flow, particularly in the eastern area of the country, was pushing the temperatures up.

"Its called the Foehn effect," Mr Doolin said.

"When air rises up one side of a mountain, it will lose its moisture and warm dry air comes down the other side."

Overnight, a front was expected to pass over the region, bringing some showers to the Bay.

"We expect conditions to be showery for the majority of the day."

The southerly change will drop temperatures by about 10C from yesterday's.

When the front passed over Invercargill earlier in the week, the city went from 21C to 11C in the space of an hour.

The Bay could also see a mild hail storm today.

"Hawke's Bay is one of the high-risk areas for possible hail showers today.

"There will also be some wind about the region but nothing notable," Mr Doolin said.

Heading into tomorrow, things are set to pick back up to 16C, with sunny skies and light winds.

The weekend will be much the same, with 20C forecast for Sunday.