Rain or showers to varying degrees has been recorded across more than half of the country so far today and with Sunday not even halfway through there’s a chance of more on the way.

It’s still difficult to try and pinpoint the exact location of the moisture for this afternoon and tonight as it’s fairly scrappy but bursts of rain or showers intensifying then slackening off have seen some places get a decent dollop whereas others have remained dry.

It’s certainly wetter than what appeared likely just a couple of days ago and for many it’s been a blessing but much more rain is certainly required to break the drought conditions. 

The two southern main centres have seen the driest conditions overall but still a couple of northern ones haven’t seen a lot.
Hamilton and Tauranga have seen less than the greater Auckland region or Wellington up until this point. 

Sixteen millimetres has been the highest total so far in Albany but five to ten millimetres of rain has been recorded at a number of weather stations and rain guages.

The early to middle part of this week sees a further smattering of showers or brief periods of rain still to come.
Again they’re localised however parts of the North Island shouldn’t miss out especially over southern, central and eastern districts.

Further ahead and there’s a hint now that Easter could be mostly dry apart from the south and west of the South Island as a large anticyclone holds centrestage. We’re still in search of a rainmaker following this but sadly our thoughts on a significant rain-bearer have waned a little at the end of the month.

Comments have been pouring into WeatherWatch so far today thought about some wet stuff here and there…

David said” Steady but light rain in Kapiti this morning. Roads are now wet, but there won’t be any runoff from farmland etc. May this continue all day!!”

Melanie was getting in amongst the excitement” It is raining in Beachlands !!! It comes down hard, then frightens us by almost stopping but then it starts up again. Its not a steady rainfall yet, but I hope it gets to one soon.”

Kerry mentioned earlier.. “We’ve had steady rain for about half hour but it seems to have eased off now, hopefully it will get harder again – east Auckland.”

Melanie added”Only about 1mm here in Waikanae, rain now stopped and sun is trying to shine, forgot how lovely rain sounds and smells!.”

Jo was observant -“Sitting here parked in mt Wellington. The grounds wet but don’t think I’d even get my hair wet at the mo! It’s trying hard tho with those rain clouds above! Let it pour I say!”

The last word or words on the current situation we leave with Brian this Sunday lunchtime…”The main rain band is not sticking around for long though. Rain off and on to follow it though, and then another rain band to follow this one, associated with the last remains of the TC. So should get to around 10mm or so…will not be a drought breaker…good for water tanks though…there is another rain band associated with the front/trough moving into the tasman sea, for later tomorrow…”

Indeed Brian and we’re keeping our eye on the skies.
Thanks very much for all of your reports and St Patrick’s Day is turning out more postively on the rainfront and let’s hope it moves into tomorrow nicely as well.

WeatherWatch