Thunderstorms to skip Hawke's Bay but expect gusty wind

Black swans parade on Anderson Park, Napier. Photo / Duncan Brown

Large parts of the country are bracing for thunderstorms but Hawke's Bay is unlikely to share in the expected drenching.

"At the moment we have quite an active front that's moving on to the North Island,'' MetService meteorologist April Clark said.

''With that, Hawke's Bay will be getting a little bit of rain but nothing like the west coast, where we are expecting thunderstorms," MetService meteorologist April Clark said.

On Monday, the MetService recorded 702 lightning strikes in the space of two hours in Nelson as the weather system moved north.

''While the system hovers over the rest of the country, Hawke's Bay should be sheltered from all but "the dregs".

"You have a fine start to Tuesday with northwesterlies,'' Clark said.

''The western ranges are keeping those showers out of there.

"One or two showers are possible in the afternoon but we basically have a big area of low pressure over the whole of the country.

''If you get a low that forms to the east that's when you get the southerlies that really bring rain in — but that's not really happening.

"It will be a cloudy day but the main thing is that the northwesterlies will be strengthening in the afternoon, so it could get quite gusty and, with a high of about 18C, those northwesterlies could heat things up a little bit more."

High cloud and northerlies would remain for tomorrow with similar conditions through to Thursday.

"Friday, as that low pressure finally starts moving to the east of the country, we have a southwesterly change over the whole of the country and you have showers developing with those."