While rain through the north island over the last few days has caused damage to roads and housing, Federated Farmers is calling the downfall a ‘tonic of confidence’.

Weather experts predicted the late December and January period would be a wet one, and Fed’s adverse events spokesperson David Rose says early warnings helped many prepare for the rain.

"It’s been such wide spread rain over the whole of the North Island, what it means it that it delays drought declarations in the Wairarapa and Manawatu for a while.

"It’s a huge boost in confidence that the weather pattern may have changed a bit as well."

Mr Rose says many farmers have been devastated by the conditions, and will be looking to rebuild depleted herd and flock numbers over the medium term. 

The rain follows a dry start to the summer, with low rainfall over October and November prompting drought declarations in all areas north of Taupo before Christmas.

While the short term drought is broken, Federated Farmers Taranaki President Peter Adamski says most of the effects of drought don’t start to hit until much later. 

Despite those high rain levels, drought status is likely to remain in most of the North, and amazingly could even spread to the Wairarapa and Manawatu.