Rain puts spring into farmers' steps

Recent arrivals riding-out the rain on a block near Hastings yesterday. But it might not be so lucky in some other areas as the otherwise welcome rain stretches towards the weekend. Photo / Duncan Brown

Farmers are quite singing in the rain after almost a week of the wet stuff - it came just in time.

That's the general view, with rainfall in the past five days having been more than throughout most of the winter.

A simple comparison is the rainfall recorded at Hawke's Bay Airport, where it was heavy but by no means the heaviest.

From Saturday to mid-afternoon yesterday, 116mm fell since rain started on Saturday, MetService reported - just over 4.5 inches. There had otherwise been just 107mm in the previous four months.

Most of Hawke's Bay from Hastings north experienced significantly less-than-average rainfall for at least nine of the past 12 months. With an El Nino climate pattern forming, the rural sector had been looking at a major drought in the new year.

Most enthusiastic about the weather-change yesterday was Fernhill sheep farmer and buyer Don McLeod, who had told Hawke's Bay Today last month that, while it was getting dry, a good three days of rain by mid- to late-September would be ideal. Yesterday he described it as "perfect", and it "couldn't have come at a better time".

"This will be marvellous," he said.

It's all about spring growth, but there were some predictions that some lambs might not survive the conditions in some areas.

The horticultural and grape-growing sectors were also pleased to see the rain, although hoping there's not too much of a good thing.

Hawke's Bay Fruitgrowers president Lesley Wilson said there could be issues with disease following the rain, but weather-warning systems meant the sector was prepared.