Will Foley: We will get through Hawke’s Bay’s extremely dry summer

El Niño conditions mean Hawke's Bay looks set for an extremely dry summer. Photo / Christine Cornege

OPINION

It’s hard to fathom for some, after all the rain we’ve had and with the grass looking as green as it does, that this coming summer could be an extremely dry one for the Hawke’s Bay region.

An El Niño weather pattern has developed in the Pacific. El Niño events typically come with an increased risk for abnormally dry conditions, particularly for our region on the east coast.

At the regional council, we are ramping up our efforts to support the rural community for the possibility of dry conditions and working closely with key agencies.

Our farmers are incredibly resilient people. They know they are at the mercy of the weather. Many have experienced drought before, with the 2020 event still very fresh in farmers’ memories.

Most people now agree that weather extremes, whether flooding or drought, seem to be happening more frequently. To go from extremely wet to dry again seems hard to believe.

But we are seeing the possibility of that playing out in Hawke’s Bay, from Cyclone Gabrielle in February to now – eight months later – the prospect of a very dry summer.

We are supporting farmers to use the regional council’s drought indicator app to assess drought conditions. This looks at the nearest rainfall and climate sites to a farm and compares current soil moisture, soil temperature and rainfall accumulation to the same time in previous years.

It also provides estimates on the days it would take for soil moisture to reach stress point if there wasn’t any rain, plus how much rain is needed to reach field capacity. To access the drought app, go to the council’s Extreme Dry web hub, hbrc.govt.nz, and search #hbdry.

We are also encouraging farmers to get in contact with their trusted advisers and make a plan with their support. It’s better to make incremental decisions earlier when the risk of extreme dry weather is increasing.

Resilience seems to be one of the catchwords of the day, and I think the Hawke’s Bay community has shown that in bucketloads this year. We will get through the coming months, like we have before – with the support of others.

Spring is always such a busy time on the farm. For those in the rural community, it might be a good time to check on your neighbour and make connections.

Come and see the regional council staff at the A&P show, where rural resilience, wetland protection and recovery are a focus.

We will also have a presence at the Hort Field Days at the A&P show, and regional councillor Xan Harding will be speaking about “Recovery Together – Horticulture and HBRC” during a sponsored afternoon tea from 2.30pm-3pm on Wednesday, October 18.

- Will Foley is a Hawke’s Bay regional councillor