Tomorrow, rainfall of about 160 mm is likely in the ranges east of Whakatane and north of Ruatoria, and people in the eastern Bay of Plenty, and northern Gisborne should brace themselves for "significant accumulations of rainfall".
Farmers in the Waikato - who have been particularly hard-hit by a drought they were not expecting - reported steady, soaking rain, which is what they need.
About 40mm-50mm is expected to fall there by Wednesday, helping to replenish the region's soil moisture deficit of around 120mm.
Mr McDavitt said that continued rainfall over the next two or three days, which will help build up some pasture cover and eventually get condition back on remaining livestock animals.
The La Nina weather pattern was still pushing warmer weather from the tropics to New Zealand, but shorter days were bringing colder weather and New Zealand could expect a normal winter, Mr McDavitt said.
Waikato Federated farmers president Stew Wadey said any significant pasture growth will not be seen until early May.
The rain will reach down into the central plateau, and the catchment feeding Lake Taupo, which late last week was at low levels close to affecting power generation down the Waikato River's hydro stations.
But a Taupo District Council spokeswoman Sarah Painter said that not enough rain had yet fallen to have had any significant impact on lake levels.
The regions needed a lot of rain before the lake levels could even begin to return to normal.
The Hawke's Bay Regional Council has lifted bans on low-flow water takes from the Ngaruroro River, where 52 consent holders who faced bans on water usage since the end of March.
- NZPA
