Heavy rainfall over the Waikato is unlikely to budge the region’s drought status, with many farmers still suffering the lingering effects of the big dry.
MetService yesterday issued a severe weather watch for Waikato and Coromandel, with heavy rain and severe gusts forecast to hit the upper North Island.
Steady rain began pelting Hamilton from midday Saturday and was expected to continue today, while squally thunderstorms are forecast for Paeroa, Matamata, Te Awamutu and Tokoroa.
The region can also expect some chilly nights this week, with temperatures dropping as low as 2 degrees Celsius in inland areas.
But Waikato Regional Council chairman Peter Buckley said the heavy rainfall would not affect the region’s drought status.
Many farmers receiving rural assistance payments (RAPs) would not be able to generate any significant income until September.
«The drought status is more financially driven at this stage and is likely to stay in place until September,» he said.
By 2pm yesterday, 30mm of rain had fallen on Mr Buckley’s 64-hectare dairy farm, near Te Kauwhata.
He said the «warm rainfall» would be welcomed by farmers, many of whom were struggling to shrug off the effects of the drought.
«One thing I’ve noticed on my property is the drains are still dry, which means all of the rain we’ve been getting has been soaking into the soil and not running off, so at least the soil is accepting the rain,» he said.
«Across the region, things have greened up and this rain has definitely stimulated grass growth.
«I think farmers have made a good fist of the challenging weather conditions but many are still struggling with increasing costs and Fonterra’s milk payout being not as high as it could be.»
Meanwhile, Hamilton City Council will lift water restrictions today after recent rain and a decrease in water use across the city.
Waikato and Waipa district councils lifted water restrictions last week.
Hamilton City Council city waters acting unit manager Eeva-Liisa Wright said the council would keep a watch on the Waikato River and Lake Taupo, with late May a critical date for river and lake levels.
A barge and pumps brought on to the river as part of the city’s low-level contingency plan would remain in place for testing, until river and lake levels returned to more usual levels.
Mighty River Power media relations manager Katherine Litten said the lake’s level had been steadily tracking upward since April 14 and had not reached the low levels experienced in May 2010.
Waikato Regional Council hydrologist Ed Brown said Waikato River flows out of Hamilton were still low because water was being captured for storage in Lake Taupo.
He said the weekend’s rain would increase river levels and flows but the river would return to «slightly above current levels» after a couple of days.
«The drought has obviously put us well below normal river levels.
«What we need is weeks of consistent rain for the river to return to its normal levels.»
Mr Brown said the rain would be a welcome relief for the river’s ecology, which had been under pressure from low flows and high temperatures.
«The river is under a lot of internal pressures as well. You generally want higher flows in winter; that’s important for spawning and all that behaviour which is part of the lifecycle of fish.»
Source: Â Stuff