A wetter than average past several weeks have made some regions wet underfoot with green grass and even muddy conditions. Pasture growth rates are doing well nationally due to the conditions but a drier than average trend is kicking in – which isn’t great for those regions that may still technically be in drought or for those people that need just one more good top of rain to feel more relaxed.

Drier than usual conditions remain in parts of Southland, Manawatu and Gisborne and the dry and warmer than average trend in some regions in the past couple of weeks is seeing the drier conditions creep wider nationally.

Here is the 7 day outlook from the US Government for rain compared to normal. The redder it is the drier the forecast is. It has all the hallmarks of Autumn westerlies now at play with the West Coast wet and the east coast and north dry.

WeatherWatch.co.nz says high pressure dominates the New Zealand area for the next couple of weeks and while there may be a rain maker in the second week of April it may be short lived with another big high pressure belt behind it. 

– WeatherWatch.co.nz