New Zealand’s driest regions are today receiving pockets of heavy rain and showers – positive news for some farmers and growers facing drought-like conditions.

WeatherWatch.co.nz head weather analyst Philip Duncan says showers are spreading across eastern New Zealand and it will be very welcome.  “Todays downpours are great news for many living in our driest regions this month.  Not everyone is receiving rain, it’s certainly hit and miss, but some downpours are pretty solid…there will be a few smiles across the eastern farming communities today”.

But Mr Duncan is quick to add this is no drought breaker – with not enough rain falling today for those lucky enough to receive it and pointing out that big parts of these regions are still missing out on rain today. On top of that – more dry, hot, weather is coming in.  “It might be Auckland Anniversary weekend but the high will be New Zealand-wide this coming weekend”.

“Then next week, as the high departs slowly, we can expect hot nor’westers to develop ahead of West Coast rain, which may well spillover into dry eastern areas for a time”.

WeatherWatch.co.nz forecasters are also monitoring the potential for that rain to head further north in the final days of the month, to dry parts of the upper North Island.

“It would certainly be pretty good timing to have a dry, mostly sunny, long weekend for nearly half the population, followed by a bit of wet weather later that following week.

WeatherWatch.co.nz has also relaunched “RainWatch”.  This is a free basic news and forecast service we provide for farmers and growers across New Zealand during particularly dry times.  We’ll add more RainWatch updates to our site over the coming days and weeks as we track the rain makers – and clarify the questions you have as some apps overpredict rain that often fails to eventuate.

We also provide a range of commercial services.  In the 2013 drought the New Zealand Government hired WeatherWatch.co.nz for the official drought period.  Via the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) our services were used over a two month time frame with regular detailed updates to them – and they gave us a highly positive review of our services which you can read here: http://www.weatherwatch.co.nz/content/drought-weatherwatchconz-now-assisting-nz-govt

Fonterra and CountryTV, along with various vineyards, are also using our commercial rain & wind forecast services.  On our website homepage click on “About” for more details on our services and clients – and to contact us simply use the “Contact” form on the homepage.

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– WeatherWatch.co.nz