Last burst of September rain forestalls drought conditions in Hawke’s Bay

The Sound Shell in Napier's Marine Parade drenched by rain last Sunday. Photo / Connull Lang

A burst of rain during the last few days of September may have forestalled potential drought conditions in Hawke’s Bay.

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council released its latest State of the Environment report for the month of September that describes how Hawke’s Bay went from 5 per cent of the average rainfall to near-normal totals across most of the region.

Dr Kathleen Kozyniak, regional council team leader for air and land science, said the month was “brutally dry” until its final week, with the council earlier warning farmers to speak with advisers and prepare for dry summer conditions.

“It took just a few days near the end of the month to take us from 5 per cent of the month’s average rainfall to near-normal totals across most of the region, and above normal in the north and along the south coast,” Kozyniak wrote.

Averaging out rainfall across areas in the region, Hawke’s Bay experienced 119 per cent of normal September rainfall according to a 30-year average.

Northern Hawke’s Bay and Waikaremoana saw the peak of the last-minute deluge with 169 per cent and 142 per cent normal rainfall respectively.

Even the driest area relative to its norm, Ruataniwha Plains, had 97 per cent of normal rainfall.

“Soil moisture, which had dipped below average for the time of year, snaffled most of the rain and had a welcome boost to more typical levels,” Kozyniak wrote.

“The late rain didn’t save river flows from falling below average and wouldn’t have yet dented groundwater levels, which were near normal for the month.”

Overall, Hawke’s Bay sat at 82 per cent of the average river flow for September, with the lowest river flow, at 42 per cent of the average for September, along the Tukituki River.

Air quality appeared to be relatively good despite windy and dusty conditions because the regional council did not record any exceedances of the National Environmental Standard for particulate matter during the month of September.

However, the Napier, Hastings and Awatoto monitoring sites do not cover Esk Valley, where windy conditions whipped up huge billowing clouds of silt dust.

Temperature records for the month and near records were reached in Wairoa, Waipawa, Dannevirke, Napier and Hastings, according to Niwa.

The highest daily temperature was 26.9C, recorded in Wairoa, but temperatures across the board were well above average.

“We are likely to continue September’s theme of warmer-than-usual temperatures and from here there’s a good chance of lower-than-normal rainfall,” Kozyniak wrote.