Most of the North Island could be declared a drought zone by the end of the week, but Prime Minister John Key says the impact on the Government's books remains to be seen.

Five years have passed since his daughter went missing, and life has only got harder for Joe Tumanako and his family.

A woman who complained about the public tributes left for a boy killed when hit by a vehicle two years ago says they should be removed because she does not like having to see them every day.

A new business operating at the entrance to Taradale Shopping Centre on Gloucester St has upset some locals because it is a funeral home.

The family of a boy killed when hit by a vehicle on Guppy Rd are devastated that Napier City Council is considering removing roadside tributes to him after receiving a complaint from a nearby resident.

A tropical cyclone and three other heavy rain patterns are due to position themselves above NZ this weekend, but it is unlikely they will bring much-needed rain.

Droughts have been declared in South Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Hawkes Bay regions, a week after drought was declared in Northland.

Hawke's Bay's water operators are checking the region's supplies for contamination of Cryptosporidium.

A series of earthquakes have hit the Hawkes Bay overnight.

Police have made an urgent appeal about racing cars linked to a crash which killed a Napier teen only hours before she would have started a hairdressing course.

A 34-year-old Hastings man has died while diving at a remote beach in central Hawke's Bay.

A drunk off-duty police constable who attacked another woman when she was accused of snorting drugs during a night out has been convicted of assault and fined.

A total fire ban throughout Hawke's Bay may have scuttled one of the traditional Geon Art Deco Weekend attractions - the steam train.

A 16-year-old has suffered spinal injuries after falling off trail bike whilst performing jumps at a Hawkes Bay farm.

A driver died when his vehicle plunged 60 metres down a bank in northern Hawkes Bay, and another motorist had a lucky escape when he jumped out of his truck only minutes before it was destroyed by flames yesterday.

A Napier man who diaried sexual offences against boys and later admitted them in court has become possibly the oldest New Zealander ever sent to jail.

A Hawke's Bay woman with terminal cancer was among those vying for a shot at the big time at X Factor auditions in Napier.

An overwhelming public response to security footage showing two people allegedly stealing a charity donation box from a Hastings petrol station has led to arrests.