MetService warns of severe gales in Hawke’s Bay with wind watch issued

Gale-force winds are forecast to sweep across southern parts of Hawke's Bay on Tuesday. Photo / Paul Taylor

• Hawke’s Bay faces a week of strong winds, rain, and lower temperatures.
• MetService issued a strong wind watch for Hawke’s Bay, about and south of Hastings, with gusts potentially reaching 100km/h in exposed areas.
• Showers are expected, with temperatures dropping from Wednesday after a warm start to the week.

Gales that could reach 100km/h are forecast before a cold snap works its way across Hawke’s Bay.

MetService has issued a strong wind watch south of Hastings from 11am to 8pm on Tuesday, predicting northwest winds potentially approaching severe gale in exposed places.

It says there is a high chance the watch will be upgraded to a warning.

Meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane said some exposed areas could see gusts reaching 100km/h.

“We have a low-pressure system that is moving across Aotearoa and the winds associated with that and the various weather systems ... are picking the winds up in the area,” she said.

Hawke’s Bay could expect a few showers on Tuesday morning, with rain developing in the afternoon, especially in southern parts of the region.

“This is one of those classic cases of keeping a close eye on the forecast for any updates,” she said.

Makgabutlane said while temperatures would be in the mid-20s on Tuesday, and mid-teens overnight, a drop in temperature would come from Wednesday onwards.

“The feeling on the ground, with the wind and the cooler change and a little bit of rain, might feel a little wintery,” she said.

Jack Riddell is a multimedia journalist with Hawke’s Bay Today and spent the last 15 years working in radio and media in Auckland, London, Berlin, and Napier. He reports on all stories relevant to residents of the region.