Auckland without rain for 40 days, residents tanks run dry

New Zealand’s biggest city hasn’t had any meaningful rainfall for 40 days now.

Auckland is the driest it's ever been today, wth no significant rainfall in more than a month. 

The city has now reached 40 days without rain - the previous record was 39 days, seven years ago.

In Auckland today it was overcast and windy, but still no sign of rain and residents on tank water are running low.

"We've never brought water in the time we've been at our place, and this year I've just ordered the fifth truck load," Beachlands resident Phil Jessep said.

Mr Jessep has a four-week-old baby and a toddler, but their taps have run dry. 

"We went five days without water at all - we had to buy drinking water.

"I'm in the local fire brigade so we were allowed to used the fire station to shower."

Auckland Council has set up water collection stations for communities in need and some leisure centres are also making their shower facilities available to the public. 

Recent warm temperatures and dry conditions have created an extreme fire risk, and there's now a complete fire ban across the entire North Island, with heavy restrictions across most of the south.

The situation is worse in Northland.

Water bans are in place across the region and unless there's significant rainfall Kaikohe town's supply is expected to run out in less than two weeks, Kaitaia is also expected to run out.

There is a small chance of showers next week according to TVNZ'S 1 weather presenter Daniel Corbett - "but we probably will be getting to March before the jetstream to come back to finally give us some decent relief".

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