"Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain", reckons champion Tauranga fuchsia grower Bert Kennerley.
The veteran gardener was this morning dancing in the rain, thankful he will not have to water his prized plants twice a day.
MetService figures show that over the 24 hours to 6am today, 11mm of
rain had fallen in Mount Maunganui.
It brings February's total so far to 13.8mm - more than half the total rainfall of 24.1mm for the whole of January.
Last month there were 21 days when there was no rain recorded in Mount Maunganui, which has left gardeners and farmers short of moisture for plants and pastures.
In Tauranga, 9.2mm of rain fell in the 24 hours to 6am today, bringing this month's total to 9.6mm. In January, the Tauranga weather station in Chapel St recorded 25.7mm of the wet stuff.
Mr Kennerley, who has been growing fuchsias for 46 years, said hot weather in January had made the ground hard, his lawns die and left his 400 plants in need of extra watering.
"Some of the hanging baskets have been watered twice a day. This rain will be welcomed by everyone," he said. "This type of gentle rain is good. It soaks in and sits on the plant leaves, and can then be absorbed."
Another person welcoming the rain is businessman Ian Baird,of Tauranga-based VIP Home Services, who hopes the rain will boost lawn growth.
His business, which provides a wide range of home maintenance services including lawn mowing, was hoping to pick up extra work thanks to the wet weather.
"We have our regular base of clients but this rain might catch a few out who might need their lawns done," he said.
Tauranga City Council water supply manager John Spier said the rainfall would ease pressure on water supplies - "and consumption will drop back to normal".
Recent hot, dry weather had pushed use up to 46,000cu m a day but it had dropped back to the low 30,000s with the rain, he said.
Federated Farmers president Derek Spratt said that after 30 dry days the number of fungus spores in the grass - caused by humidity - was on the rise.
"The humidity is a worry because it can bring on facial eczema."
There is more rain on the way, with thunderstorms predicted for the Western Bay this afternoon.
