Source: Earth Sciences New Zealand
A weekly update describing soil moisture patterns across the country to show where dry to extremely dry conditions are occurring or imminent. Regions experiencing significant soil moisture deficits are deemed “hotspots”. Persistent hotspot regions have the potential to develop into drought.
Recent rainfall and current soil moisture conditions:
In the North Island, rainfall amounts of 30 to 50 mm were observed along interior parts of southern Northland and Auckland, the Waikato, portions of the western Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, northern Hawke’s Bay, the central plateau, with pockets of 50 to 100 mm of rain in the Waikato, Gisborne, and Hawke’s Bay about Wairoa. Elsewhere, 10 to 30 mm of rain fell in Taranaki, southern Hawke’s Bay, and portions of the Manawatū. The remainder of the North Island generally observed less than 10 mm of rainfall over the past week, with some locations recording no rain. Soil moisture decreased across the Wellington-Wairarapa region, most of the Manawatu, Taranaki, the west and south of Hawke’s Bay, and in the Coromandel Peninsula. Soil moisture increased moderately across Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay north of Napier. Elsewhere, soil moisture either remained the same or saw a slight increase across the North Island. The wettest soils for this time to year across the North Island, when compared to normal, are located in Gisborne and northern Hawke’s Bay. The driest soils, when compared to normal for this time of year, are found in the Far North.
There are currently hotspots in the Far North about Cape Reinga, about Whanganui, in interior southern Hawke’s Bay, and a small hotspot in the Wairarapa in the foothills of the Tararua Range. As of 5 January, the New Zealand Drought Index (NZDI) map shows that abnormally dry conditions are currently found in southern Hawke’s Bay and the Far North.
In the South Island, 25 to 50 mm of rain fell across the lower West Coast and Fiordland, while the remainder of the South Island recorded 25 mm or less of rain over the last seven days, with many locations recording no rainfall. Soil moisture saw moderate decreases across the entire South Island over the past week. The driest soils in the South Island, when compared to normal for this time of the year, are located about Invercargill, while the wettest soils for this time of the year are found in Fiordland and the lower West Coast.
There are currently hotspots in coastal North Otago, about Invercargill and Bluff in Southland, and about Nelson city and Richmond in the Tasman District. As of 5 January, the New Zealand Drought Index (NZDI) map shows that abnormally dry conditions are currently found in small parts of coastal Canterbury.
