Weather: Tale of two halves in Hawke's Bay in lead-up to Easter weekend

Brothers Kaes (7) and Shay (8) Robson fishing in one of the waterways off the Ahuriri Estuary, Napier, in warm, autumn weather yesterday. Photo / Duncan Brown

It is a tale of two halves for the weather in Hawke's Bay this week.

Metservice meteorologist Andy Best said the forecast for the week ahead was for mainly fine conditions for northern and eastern parts of the North Island until Wednesday, but turning to showers on Thursday and Friday.

"The remainder of the North Island can expect mostly fine conditions on Monday, with isolated showers for Tuesday, but rain or drizzle developing from Waikato to Wellington on Wednesday, then clearing from the south on Thursday and becoming mainly fine."

There was no severe weather in the current outlook for the region, he said.

"Today [Monday] is looking like a generally fine day, just some high cloud and light winds."

Tomorrow it will be fine, with northeasterly breezes and a high of 23C.

Wednesday is similar, with increasing high cloud because of a frontal system which starts to approach from the south-west.

On Thursday, the weather begins to turn, as scattered rain develops. Northwesterlies will change to southwesterlies.

Hastings and Napier will have highs of 22C and minimums of 15C.

"On Friday, we look to cloudy periods and isolated showers. The southwesterlies which develop behind that front will gradually die out during the course of Friday. We have a maximum of 21C," Mr Best said.

Mr Best said a northwesterly airstream and a ridge currently sat east of the country.

"Some increases in the northwesterly flow ahead of the front weakens and lies around Hawke's Bay by about midnight on Hawke's Bay on Wednesday."

He said by Friday, a ridge would build causing more settled conditions - perfect for those cycling The Big Easy 2018 on Saturday, which follows about 42km of Hawke's Bay trails.