Weather: Downpours bring relief to drought-stricken farmers

While the weekend's downpours may have put a dampener on holidays, it's been a godsend for farmers struggling with drought. 

Up to 100 millimetres of rain fell on parts of the North Island, but some farmers in the Hauraki Plains are still dry.

Fields that would normally be saturated are damp at best, but Kevin Robinson from Federated Farmers Hauraki says damp is just enough.

"With the rain we've had in the last few days, [it's] potentially a drought-breaker."

Around 50 millimeters of rain fell on the Hauraki Plains over the weekend, bringing moisture levels back to ideal grass growing conditions. Farmers should see the results in about five weeks.

"As long as we get small rain events, not huge ones, going forward I think we'll be okay," Robinson says.

Georgina Griffith from MetService says more rain is expected to fall.

"We've finally broken the back of those persistent intense highs that have kept the rainmakers away, we now have a couple of good rainbands coming through the working week," she says.

The biggest threat now is a cold snap, which could stunt grass growth.

"Then you have to feed total supplements to your stock, cause there's no grass. And there's not a lot of supplements left on farms because they've been feeding them out as fast as they can," Hawke's Bay farmer Jim Golloway says.

But farmers Newshub spoke to in Hauraki, Hawke's Bay and Wairarapa are all confident they're now well placed heading into winter.

In Northland, things are looking a bit more patchy with some areas receiving little to no rain. But it's the South Island that's still had no rain.

"So we're looking for some more rain for that east of the South Island to really get them out of the position they still are in," Griffiths says.

With more wet weather on the horizon, it seems like the rain gods are finally listening.