Fire risk despite rain

Showers over much of Central Otago yesterday morning did little to ease the fire risk, but cherry growers were happy northwest winds followed the rain.

"If you have to get rain in the midst of the cherry season, that was the perfect rain," Otago Polytechnic Cromwell horticulture lecturer and Cromwell cherry grower Alex Huffadine said.

He recorded 20mm of rain on the orchard yesterday morning but said "quick and short" rain, followed by strong northwest winds, caused few problems for growers.

Helicopters had been used to dry off the crop "but it was windy enough that we'd probably have got away without using the choppers".

Summerfruit New Zealand's Gary Bennetts, of Roxburgh, said the rain "freshened things up, but didn't do any damage".

Central Otago principal rural fire officer Owen Burgess said the rain was the most significant fall this month for most of the district and, while every little bit helped, it did little to ease the fire risk.

"We wouldn't even think about lifting the total fire ban. We'd need a lot more rain before that would happen."

The rainfall for 24 hours ending at 1pm yesterday ranged from 0.4mm at Ranfurly, through to 1mm at Naseby and Oturehua, 3.4mm at Lauder, 4mm at Alexandra, 6.4mm at Clyde and 16.6mm at Cromwell.