The temporary freezing of Dunedin's economy in this week's snowfall has cost the city ''upwards of $10 million'', Otago Chamber of Commerce chief executive John Christie says.
Soaked Nelson residents are bracing for more heavy rain this afternoon as authorities study historical slip sites amid the threat of another torrential downpour.
There is a chance the wet weather expected to break the drought for parts of the North Island tomorrow and Tuesday will return by the end of the week, as forecasts hint at an end to the long dry conditions.
The heavy downpours which have brought flooding to parts of Auckland and Wellington have not hit farming areas most desperate for rain, Federated Farmers says.
The subtropical weather system which brought torrential rain to the Nelson region has abated and been replaced by much more pedestrian weather, MetService says.