Sunny day for most

The skies above a woolshed at a Middle Rd property near Havelock North, were a threatening grey on Saturday, but little rain was recorded in Hawke's Bay during the weekend. Photo / Paul Taylor

Hawke's Bay again seems to have escaped without major damage after strong winds buffeted the region yesterday.

Wind gusts of more than 80km/h were recorded from northern to southern Hawke's Bay from before dawn to early afternoon.

MetService reported a maximum gust at the Takapau Plains recording station north of Dannevirke of 89km/h shortly before 4.30am, and an 87km/h gust at Mahia soon after 1pm. The peaks in the Napier-Hastings area were recorded late morning, at just over 80km/h.

But the peak gust in the region was at the southern extremity of Cape Turnagain, where a blast of 128km/h was recorded about 5am.

Police and the fire service reported no significant incidents in the region resulting from the wind and there was little difficulty with the wind at a late-morning grass and scrub fire at Tangoio, north of Napier, although crews from Napier and Bay View attended.

While a period of unsettled weather was reported to be on the horizon across New Zealand as a strong, cold southwest flow covers the country this week, a sunny day was expected today in Napier-Hastings and Northern Hawke's Bay, but some showers were expected in southern areas.