Blow me down, temperature soars
Hawke’s Bay melted under near 30 degrees Celsius heat yesterday while parts of Wellington were hit by rain and lashed with severe winds.
Remutaka Hill Rd north of Wellington was closed just after 1pm because of strong winds, while Napier and Hastings hit temperatures close to 30C by 2pm.
MetService meteorologist Nick Zacher said there were ‘‘quite good north-westerly winds’’ across the region.
Meteorologist Georgina Griffiths said looking forward, MetService forecast ‘‘a bit of a wetter signal’’ for Hawke’s Bay, with increased high cloud and rain developing this evening with northerlies turning southerly.
Temperatures would remain relatively steady, with a high of 26C forecast for both Hastings and Napier today.
Weekend temperatures were expected to be significantly lower, with Hastings having a 17C forecasted high on Sunday, and 18C for Napier.
Icecream stores across region have been flat out.
Surf shops were also in demand, with the manager of Napier-based Backdoor, Leesha Hilton, saying they had sold a lot more surf wax and jandals than the usual yesterday. ‘‘It’s just insane how hot it is out there.’’
A Hastings District Council spokeswoman said the warm weather was a reminder for people to not waste water in the months ahead, and to use it ‘‘cautiously’’.
A Hawke’s Bay District Health Board spokeswoman said people should keep their fluids up, drink plenty of water, and seek medical assistance if needed.
While some were enjoying the sun just up the east coast, a section of Remutaka Hill Rd was closed until 5pm yesterday because of the winds.
Motorists were asked to delay travel, and advised to take detour routes that could add up to three hours to travel times.
The New Zealand Transport Agency said winds were still strong as of the late afternoon and asked drivers to take extra care, especially people driving highsided vehicles or riding motorbikes.
Wellington can expect to wake up to drizzle, which will turn into rain by the afternoon but will ease at night. Strong northerly winds felt yesterday will continue into today as the region hits a top of 18 degrees Celsius. Winds will turn to southerlies by the afternoon and temperatures will drop to a low of 9C overnight. Tomorrow will reach a high of 15C with showers gradually clearing during the morning. The rest of the day is expected to be fine and southerlies should die out by the afternoon. By Sunday, Wellington will be mainly fine with light winds and an afternoon sea breeze. Temperatures will top 17C and drop down to 10C overnight.