The Government has extended its medium-scale adverse event classification to the drought-hit Grey and Buller districts of the South Island's West Coast.
These are the first South Island additions to the medium-scale event, which was announced for regions of the lower North Island just before Christmas.
"While last week's rainstorm left parts of coastal New Zealand drenched, the famously wet West Coast has been struggling through an unusually hot, dry start to summer and missed out on the much-needed rain," Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor said in a statement.
"We are keeping a watching brief on neighbouring areas, including Murchison, which have also missed out on the rain," he said.