Photo: Romolo Tavani / 123RF
A farmer in the drought-stricken Tasman District says the heavy rain forecast for Thursday will bring much-needed relief.
MetService has issued heavy rain watches for parts of Tasman, Nelson, Buller and Marlborough from Thursday morning, as well for the ranges of the Westland District from Wednesday night.
The Buller district and Tasman north-west of Motueka are forecast to have downpours from 3am Thursday, and the wet weather will hit Bryant Range and the Rai Valley, as well as the ranges of Marlborough north-west of the inland Kaikoura Range from 11am on Thursday.
Nelson Lakes is due to have heavy rain from 10am on Thursday.
NIWA says Buller and Tasman could get a month's worth of rain in 48 hours.
MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane said an atmospheric river was expected to bring heavy rain and strong winds in coming days, starting in the South Island and moving north.
She said it was difficult to predict how much rain would fall at this point.
After affecting parts of the West Coast, Nelson, Tasman, parts of Marlborough, towards Buller it would head to the North Island and once again it was forecast for the northern and western regions, meteorologist meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane said.
Federated Farmers Nelson president Stephen Todd says the drought has cut milk production in his region. Photo: RNZ / Samantha Gee
Federated Farmers Nelson president Stephen Todd, whose family owns three dairy farms in the Tutaki Valley, said this year's drought has been brutal, and has cut milk production significantly.
He said farmers were crossing their fingers for a good dousing of rain.
February and March had been "brutal", gravity fed water supplies had dried up and wells were getting low.
"It's the worst dry I can remember in recent history."
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