Tropical weather to continue

A surfer enjoys sunny weather at Te Awanga near Hastings yesterday, before cloudy conditions which are expected to set in today. Photo / Paul Taylor

Hawke's Bay residents can expect tropical weather this week with wet and warm conditions rolling in from the east.

MetService meteorologist Emma Blades said a low pressure system would herald warm, moist air from the tropics, but it would not be enough to refresh the region's parched fields.

"It's not looking like a huge deluge at the moment. It's not a huge weather front, but it may be enough to wet the ground for farmers."

Today was expected to be mostly cloudy, with easterly breezes and patchy drizzle about the ranges.

Skies would remain cloudy tomorrow with rain developing in the morning.

Rain and easterlies were expected to persist up to Thursday this week.

Ms Blades said an easterly wind flow was associated with wet weather in Hawke's Bay, while westerly winds were generally dry due to the Foehn effect, which occurs when air mass becomes dry and warm as it passes over the ranges.

She said despite the cloudy conditions, daytime temperatures were expected to stay in the mid 20s.

"It's going to stay really warm as well."

A spell of dry weather has put the region's waterways under pressure, with water restrictions in force for much of the Bay.

Federated Farmers Hawke's Bay provincial president Will Foley said "no one's panicking yet".

The region's farmers would not need significant rainfall until midway through next month at the earliest.

Dry conditions have also raised fire danger levels throughout the region, with a total fire ban in force in Central Hawke's Bay as of 8am this morning.

A total fire ban has been enforced by the Hastings District Council on all beaches and public spaces since late last month. The Tararua and Wairoa Districts remain in restricted fire seasons.