The big dry heads north

These hills at Tangowahine, near Dargaville, are brown from the big dry. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Drought conditions in Auckland and Northland are set to continue this month, according to WeatherWatch.

The forecaster projects a drier than average trend will continue across the North Island for the first two or three weeks in February, with potential to linger even longer.

"The upper North Island has been affected by stubborn high pressure to the north of NZ and in the north Tasman Sea for months now," the forecaster said. "Lately, this has helped pull down the humid weather but has blocked rainmakers, pushing them south into the West Coast."

While rain may not be on its way, that stubborn high pressure that's been sitting over the top of the North Island may sink further south - which will give the lower and western South Island a break from the wind and changeable weather.

It also brings a chance of subtropical weather reaching northern New Zealand — increasing humidity and the chance of showers.

These hills at Tangowahine, near Dargaville, are brown from the big dry. Photo / Michael Cunningham

According to the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa) Drought Index, drought conditions spread from northern Waikato to Northland with the Bay of Plenty extremely dry.

Niwa meteorologist Maria Augutis said the drought-like conditions were becoming more widespread and covering large areas.

She said there was nowhere in the North Island where soil moisture levels were normal or above normal.

As a result the Northland region is getting almost $13 million through the Provincial Growth Fund to make its water infrastructure more resilient to extreme weather events.

The money will go to two water storage projects in the region.

Northland Regional Council will get $12m for the Northland Water Storage and Use Project and $745,000 will go to Kaipara District Council for the Kai for Kaipara Water project.