Bay of Plenty drought free - for now

The Bay of Plenty Regional Council says recent rain means the region is not facing the risk of a drought, at the moment.

Recent rain following a dry January means the Bay of Plenty is not currently at risk of drought, according to the regional council.

Bay of Plenty Regional Council data services manager Glenn Ellery said February had so far seen 15 to 70mm of rainfall across the regional council's monitoring network.

"Although this rain has been patchy, it has provided temporary relief across the region. At a few sites, including Kokomoka in the upper Rangitaiki catchment and Te Teko in the lower Rangitaiki catchment, this rainfall is already more than the total during January."

He said January was characterised by air pressures that resulted in an abnormal north-easterly airflow and a predominance of highs over the country.

This resulted in an abundance of dry, warm and sunny weather for most of the country during January, which was reflected in the month's below normal rainfalls - an average of 40 per cent of normal for the regional council's rain gauge network.

The lack of rain has resulted in soil moisture levels being below normal for the time of year in parts of the Bay of Plenty, with traditional dry areas such as Galatea, Rerewhakaaitu and Reporoa being very dry, he said.

"Most rivers are still above or just approaching normal annual summer low flows.
"The one notable exception is the Tarawera River, which is just below its average annual low flow," Mr Ellery said.

The council's rain gauge figures show the Bay of Plenty had a wetter December than usual. The Whakatane gauge at Kopeopeo recorded 161mm - 174 percent of normal - for December, and the gauges at Te Teko and Opotiki wharf had 141.5mm and 190mm - 143 and 183 percent of normal respectively.

"We were lucky to have rain in October and December last year, as this would have helped recharge the groundwater stores that act as the primary contributors to base flows during dry periods," he said.

The Rural Support Trust continues to monitor the situation along with the regional council.