Niwa says some areas, especially south of Christchurch, will see their soil moisture levels decreasing overall. Photo: GettyA dry summer awaits parts of Canterbury. To date in 2020 Christchurch has had over 150mm less rainfall than the yearly average from the same period. Noll said the total rainfall is a strong indictor of what will likely be a dry start to summer for Christchurch, and further south. "I'd expect that those areas, especially south of Christchurch, will see their soil moisture levels decreasing overall as we start the summer season."

Source: Otago Daily Times November 23, 2020 20:37 UTC