Rain relief for drought-stricken areas

Drought-stricken areas of the North Island should get some welcome relief in the next week.

After fine weather and temperatures in excess of 20degC last week, autumn arrived with rain overnight and heavy rain warnings for Northland, Auckland and Coromandel.

MetService weather ambassador Bob McDavitt also said drought-stricken Waikato would get some rain.

"It should get 20-30mm today, which is a good amount," he told NZPA.

"It has a moisture deficit of about 100mm but it doesn't want it all quickly as grass can only grow so fast and the rest of it would be runoff.

"But what it is getting will be very good." The weather system was not expected to make much of an impact on South Canterbury, another drought-ravaged area.

Northland and Auckland was expected to have thunderstorms today, with Northland expected to get up to 100mm of rain.

However, wind directions meant the region was not expected at this stage to suffer the rain-bashing and flooding it has experienced in the past two years.

Bay of Plenty and Coromandel could have more rain as the afternoon and Tuesday progressed, Mr McDavitt said.

Temperatures were remaining warmer than usual for April, he said.

"The temperatures are starting to come down at the rate you would expect, but they are starting at a higher level."