Northland has had its first rainy day in weeks, bringing some relief to anxious firefighters and farmers.
The region is now steaming, with temperatures still in the high 20s, and humidity levels at almost 100%.
The Far North has had 25 millimetres of rain since early on Tuesday morning, and Principal Rural Fire Officer Lance Johnston says that has been enough to lower the fire risk from extreme to high.
Mr Johnston says the small reprieve is welcome but is likely to be temporary, and people still need to extremely careful .
