Is there a massive government conspiracy developing in the skies over New Zealand?

The weekend’s rough weather in the North Island definitely marked a major turning point in our weather - this is just the start of wetter things to come.

Scepticism about global warming is widespread amongst TV forecasters.

Forecasters and frustrated farmers say short bursts of heavy showers yesterday will do little to break droughts.

Parts of the drought-stricken north are expected to get their first rain in more than two months, but forecasters warn they are unlikely to be the end of the drought.

A Niwa climate scientist says 56mm of rain has fallen so far this year, the lowest of any three-month period in Auckland.

Severe gales powerful enough to damage trees and power lines are set to lash the east coast of the South Island and the parts of the North Island.

MetService has issued a weather warning for the lower South Island as winds threaten to hit 100km/h in an early winter storm.

A severe weather warning has been issued for the South Island after gales battered Wellington today.

Auckland is coming through a record dry patch - only 5mm of rain fell in February, the least since records began in 1959.

North Islanders stifled by the heat should sleep easier from tomorrow - tonight should be the last in a run of extremely stuffy nights.

Muggy nights of up to 100 per cent humidity have swamped the north of NZ since the weekend and look set to continue for a couple more days.

An anticyclone moving slowly over NZ is likely to bring the hottest days of summer yet, MetService spokesman Bob McDavitt says.