Yesterday's rain in the Coromandel Peninsula and parts of Waikato and the Bay of Plenty has ended a developing and concerning dry spell for some.

While rain fell in September, October saw a change to drier conditions for many northern areas.

Rain steadily fell in the Coromandel and Bay of Plenty yesterday.

Lately, NIWA's soil moisture maps have been showing a concerning trend to drier than average soil moisture levels for northern parts of Auckland, central and eastern parts of Waikato and western parts of the Bay of Plenty.

Many dairy farmers and gardeners have also been telling WeatherWatch.co.nz about the drying out trend of recent weeks.

However, isolated heavy downpours and thunderstorms last week, coupled with widespread soaking rains today, means the upper North Island should see a significant reversal in the drier than average conditions that have developed.

However, further south the dry El Nino winds have continued to have a negative impact on Canterbury's ongoing drought.

While a little relief has come in to a few spots of Canterbury and Otago this spring, conditions are generally dry.