Rain great - but no drought breaker

Rain which fell on much of Northland yesterday and overnight was welcome, but once again will offer little long-term relief from the region’s ongoing drought, the Northland Regional Council says.

Regional Council figures for the 32-hours from midnight Monday to 8am today show rainfall varied from just 7.5mm at Tara near Mangawhai through to highs of 68.5mm in the Kerikeri area, 74.5mm at Puhipuhi and 76.5mm at Ohaeawai. (Ohaeawai’s total included 36mm which fell in just one hour from 4pm, while Puhipuhi recorded 34mm between 5pm and 6pm.)

However, Dale Hansen, the Council’s Water Resources/Hydrology Programme Manager, says the rain was quite variable, with other areas of the North which desperately needed it not faring so well.

“For instance Kaitaia received just 12.5mm over the 32 hours to 8am today.”

The eastern hills above Kaeo had only received about 10mm but the western hills above Kaeo 46mm over the same period, while Kaikohe had received 39.4mm, Whangarei 36.2mm, Maungaturoto 24.5mm and Dargaville 14.5mm.

Mr Hansen says after six months of drought, many parts of Northland – especially in the Far North – will still require further steady rain of about 100mm over a two-week period to effectively break the drought’s clutches. However, short-term forecasts indicate very little rain over the next fortnight.

“The most recent rain is certainly useful but its effects will be largely temporary in most places. It will be great for pasture in some areas and will have given rivers around the region a short-term boost, but this will likely be short-lived with flows back to critical within the next few days.”

Mr Hansen says with rivers at their lowest levels in decades and soil moisture levels so far below normal, the effects of the drought may continue to be felt for some time even if close to normal rain eventuates over the next three months as predicted.

Officials say with the drought now entering its seventh month, even the best-prepared farmers are finding it increasingly difficult to ensure their remaining stock have access to sufficient feed and water.

Mr Hansen says with the regional economic effects of the drought already estimated at $300 million and climbing, the drought’s impacts would continue for some time.

He says a range of drought-related information can be viewed on the Regional Council’s website via: www.nrc.govt.nz/drought