Sub-zero start for some today

It's been a cold start to the day in Hawke's Bay. Photo / File.

Hawke's Bay residents woke up to a "nippy" start to the day, with temperatures plunging to below zero.

MetService meteorologist Tui McInnes said residents inland had to brave temperatures of - 1.1C this morning.

"That was quite inland around the Takapau plains, around the border with Hawke's Bay and Wairarapa. It's quite chilly there and that's quite representative of inland areas. If we look further to the coast, Napier itself got down to 0.6C and Hastings was the same, getting down to 0.2C.

"It's certainly a nippy morning. Those temperatures are quite representative around the region - 0 degrees near the coast and dipping down further inland, mainly at inland areas away from the sea."

Inland areas that were sheltered from wind would be cooler than coastal areas.

"The wind helps to mix the air to keep temperatures up and if you are near the coast, because the sea has some residual heat it helps to warm up the air around it."

Temperatures were expected to rise to about 13C over the course of the day.