Wet and dry horrors plague and east and far north

A flooded street in Hastings. Photo / Hawkes Bay Today

Summer's turned topsy turvy, with Northland in severe drought and flash flooding hitting parts of Hawke's Bay.

Agriculture Minister David Carter visited the region on Friday.

"I've never seen Northland as dry as this," he said.

The Government has declared Northland a medium-level drought zone, meaning relief such as tax assistance, farm-management advice, welfare support and funding for the Northland Rural Support Trust.

Carter flew to Kerikeri then drove south to Pakaraka, where he looked over Alec and Kelly Jack's family beef farm.

A southwest wind was blowing away dark clouds and evaporating the 5mm of rain that had fallen on Wednesday, bringing total Pakaraka rainfall for the month to 20mm.

Northland was able to withstand drought better than many regions because it had diverse grasses, Jack said. But he would have to sell cattle if the farm did not get at least 75mm of rain before the end of March.

Jack said farmers had to act before animal welfare was harmed. Carter, who owns a sheep and beef property in North Canterbury, agreed.

"It takes guts to drop the summer stocking rate by 25 per cent like Alec Jack has done, but he has made the right call," the minister said.

At the same time as Carter was in Northland, Hawke's Bay was hit by flooding.

Parts of the Hastings suburb of Flaxmere were isolated and police warned motorists to stay off the roads. Sections of SH5 between Napier and Taupo were also flooded.

The rain moved south, with MetService predicting 80mm in the southern and eastern hills and ranges of Wairarapa until late yesterday morning.

- APN and NZPA