For many in our cities and towns it may seem a bit confusing after the recent heavy rain but parts of New Zealand are desperate for rain – and plenty of it.

Some farmers across the upper North Island especially are telling WeatherWatch.co.nz that conditions are drier than this time last year – ahead of the worst drought to hit the nation in 50 years.  It was the upper North Island to first be declared a drought zone last summer.

Head weather analyst Philip Duncan says people are sensitive following last summer and the threat of more dry conditions this summer is hard on some in the farming community.  “It”s quite stressful for some farmers to be facing conditions drier than this time last year.  There is some good news though, overall the North Island has had some good rain dumps recently, reversing major dry conditions across Waikato and Bay of Plenty”

But that’s little comfort to Far North farmer Kelly Mason, who is very concerned.  “We are currently drier than we were last year, and we had a big drought then.  Last month we only had 20mm of rain and howling wind. So the rain had no effect what so ever as it just dried up again”.

“We have only just managed to get enough feed together to get our silage done, and we certainly don’t have the grass that I have seen in Hamilton or Auckland recently.  It gets a bit depressing hearing how those farmers in Hamilton/ Whangarei area were making silage through winter / spring as they had an abundance of feed. We seem to watch the black clouds come over some days and then just part and go around us”.

The rain maker this week looks hit and miss too  – as we said a few weeks ago in our report to Fonterra.  It may bring in a few showers though – and possibly some hit and miss pockets of rain, but the system looks mostly out at sea.

However a low in the final day or two of November in the Tasman Sea might have a better shot at bringing rain to the Far North as we slide into the official start of summer on December 1st.

– Homepage image / rain has fallen in parts of the upper NI, but not everywhere / file, Roderick Davison 

– WeatherWatch.co.nz