Hawke’s Bay sizzles: Napier has bragging rights at 32C

Napier appeared to have won bragging rights for the hottest temperature in Hawke’s Bay so far this summer when the thermometor peaked at 32C mid-afternoon on Tuesday.

Pupils of Maraekakaho School on a summer's day on Tuesday at Pandora, Napier, about to get to grips with water confidence and the optimist yachts, with teacher and sailing instructor Sam Golden on kayak patrol at left. Photo / Doug Laing

While it was a case of jockeying for No 1 in the twin cities, elsewhere thoughts were more on the consequences, as rural districts' fears of a drought started to loom large.

According to nationwide forecasting agency MetService, the warmest temperature in New Zealand about 9.45am was the 27.1C in Hastings, while in Napier it was 25.7C. By just after 1.30pm Hawke’s Bay Airport had the bragging rights at 30.9C, while it was 29.5C in Hastings.

Napier peaked at 32C about 3pm and Hastings at 31.2C, on the first of three days in a row for peaks over 30C, with similar highs forecast for Sunday and Monday.

The forecast peaks compare with the peaks for the twin cities this year, 33.6C in Hastings and 33C in Napier, on January 14, and the hottest in recent years - 37.4C at Hawke’s Bay Airport in February 2020.

Taking particular advantage of the weather were some of the 135 pupils of Maraekakaho School doing water confidence and optimist yacht training at Pandora, Napier, where principal Sandy Crawford said two groups would each get two days of training, with school teacher and trained instructor Sam Golden.

But there were increased worries for firefighters, with MetService having issued a 6pm Tuesday-9am Wednesday strong wind watch notice for Hawke’s Bay south of Hastings to Wairarapa.

The notice forecast west to northwest winds possibly approaching severe gale force in exposed places, easing from the south during Wednesday morning.

Another period of west to northwest gales is expected Wednesday night to Thursday morning, and a new watch may be issued on Wednesday morning, MetService reported.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand was called to a grass fire in Pakowhai on Monday night. Firefighters from the Hastings Fire Brigade were called at 11.06pm and attended with a pump and a tanker. The 4m by 2m fire was extinguished by 11.30pm.

The temperatures have come in the week of the Ngāti Kahungunu Primary Schools Kapa Haka Festival, at Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga.

It started on Monday with Mokotini, the performances of about 25 groups from kōhanga reo, with much of the rest of the week devoted to the Ngāti Kahungunu Primary Schools Kapa Haka Festival, one of the longest-running primary school kapa haka festivals in New Zealand, having started as the Primary Schools Māori Culture Festival more than 50 years ago.

Other events in Hawke’s Bay this week include the first sheep dog trials of the season at Petane on Friday and Saturday, and a possible test for farmers already destocking in preparation for possible drought; the Sanctuary Sounds Music Festival near Takapau (Friday-Sunday); and on Saturday the Napier Christmas Parade and Christmas in the Park at both Anderson Park, Greenmeadows, and Mitre 10 Regional Sports Park in Hastings.

Heavy soul band Shapeshifter, which in June had a New Zealand-act record six albums placed in the Official Top 20 New Zealand albums chart after a 25th anniversary tour, has a sold-out concert at Black Barn, Havelock North on Saturday night.

Doug Laing is a senior reporter based in Napier with Hawke’s Bay Today, and has 51 years of journalism experience, 41 of them in Hawke’s Bay, in news gathering, including breaking news, sports, local events, issues, and personalities.