Seven days of hot, dry weather are set for Wellington, which is currently in drought-like conditions.
MetService is not forecasting any rain in the capital until Monday next week but even that, the national weather forecaster is first to admit, is far from certain.
While some cloud was forecast for most of the coming week, daily highs were expected to range from 21degC to 25C and most nights the temperature would only drop to 16C.
* Week starts with a scorcher: Warm weather settled in * Water bans looming for Wellington as region ‘on the cusp’ of a shortage * CuriousCity: Where Wellington stores its water The long, fine patch was caused by a ridge of high pressure over the North Island that would shift away from Wellington later in the week, letting some wind in but no let-up in the dry conditions.
"This is really good because we don’t have to use water from the [Kaitoke reservoirs] lakes."
Wellington’s water use had been entirely supplied by the Hutt River and aquifer, leaving the "piggy bank" reservoir free for later in the season.
"If we start digging into the piggy bank early in the summer it is a bit worrying."
MetService Meteorologist Ciaran Doolin said a slow-moving front was expected to bring rain to the far south and Fiordland on Monday and Tuesday.
During Friday the ridge is expected to start moving east of the country as a northwesterly flow builds over the South Island, according to MetService.
None were expected for Monday.

Most of the Sacramento Valley will get at least a half-inch of rain over the weekend, with heavier rainfall expected in Auburn, Placerville and Oroville, the National Weather Service said Thursday.
Light rain was expected to begin in the Sacramento area by Thursday evening, with heavier precipitation forecast for late Friday into Saturday.
The weather service said a slight chance of rain was expected for Sunday and Monday.
Another storm was expected to hit the region next Thursday.
Up to an inch of rain was forecast for fire-ravaged communities like Santa Rosa and Redwood Valley, where officials feared that precipitation could do more harm than good.
California went through La Niña conditions last winter – and wound up with the rainiest season on record in the northern half of the state.
His long-range forecast for the season?
The city of Sacramento’s winter watering schedule, which began Wednesday, restricts outdoor watering to once a week, either Saturday or Sunday.
Related stories from The Sacramento Bee Snowstorm expected to hit Sierra this weekend; winter watering rules take effect in Sacramento ‘It can become unlivable.’ How Jerry Brown is planning for raging fires and extreme heat Oroville Dam ready to withstand winter rains as first phase of repairs is finished, officials say More Videos 0:48 Snow forecast for Northern California Pause 1:26 After massacre, Chiang asks CalSTRS to divest from gun retailers 1:10 Oroville Dam spillway is ready for rainy season 1:46 In case you forgot: Here’s how to drive safely in winter weather 1:31 Have you seen these fugitives?
Oroville Dam spillway is ready for rainy season Repair milestone: The spillway repair at the Oroville Dam "is indeed ready to safely handle winter flows if needed,” says Grant Davis, director of the Department of Water Resources.

Another searing heat wave will bake the northern Plains, northern Rockies and Great Basin into early next week before a pattern change finally eases this long-lived hot pattern over the nation’s most rapidly worsening drought in parts of the Dakotas and Montana.
(MORE: Pattern Change Next Week Will Bring Heat Relief to Northern Plains, Rockies and Heat Will Build in the East) Known as a flash drought for its relatively rapid development, this northern Plains drought developed quickly by late May over a sizable swath of eastern Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota.
Local ranchers and farmers told KRTV-TV this is the worst drought in northeast Montana since 1988.
Fifteen North Dakota counties were designated as agricultural disaster areas at the end of June, KFYR-TV reported.
"There are some areas of western North Dakota into Montana that haven’t had good rain going on three months, other than isolated spots," Daryl Ritchison, executive director of the North Dakota Agricultural Weather System, told the Williston Herald.
Billings, Montana, topped out at 100 degrees last Saturday, a threshold the city hadn’t crossed in almost three years.
This means highs well into the 90s or low 100s are likely to persist in the northern High Plains drought area, as well as lower elevations of the northern Rockies and Great Basin, not to mention parts of the southern Canadian prairie, through early next week.
(MORE: Pattern Change Next Week Will Bring Heat Relief to Northern Plains, Rockies and Heat Will Build in the East) This pattern will squeeze the worst of the heat out of the northern Plains and northern Rockies.
There have been isolated thunderstorms in parts of the drought area even during this prolonged heat wave, mainly firing off the mountains, or when surface temperatures get so hot that thunderstorms ignite.
Again, welcomed baby steps for a region increasingly desperate for relief.

With .64 inches falling in the Bismarck and Mandan areas in the past week, rain totals for the year have accumulated to 13.03 inches, according to Weather Underground. Average rainfall year to date is 15.27 inches.
• Areas of moderate drought dropped from 87.35 percent to 62.85 percent.
• Severe drought saw a decrease from 32.87 percent to 23.49 percent.
• Areas of extreme drought, located in the northwest corner of North Dakota, moved slightly from 3.46 percent to 3.36 percent.
That percentage has dropped since July 30, when North Dakota led the nation among major production states in very poor to poor ratings for rangeland and pastures at 78 percent and barley at 29 percent, according to data provided by the Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin.

As the world observes 2017 World Water Week from August 27-September 1, over 180 million people lack basic drinking water in countries affected by conflict and unrest.
And for India, where per capita availability of fresh water declined by more than 50 pc in the past 50 years, preserving every drop of groundwater is critical to its water security.
Though there’s adequate fresh water for every one on the planet, inappropriate management and infrastructure makes thousands of people lose their life each year from diseases associated with inadequate water supply, sanitation and hygiene.
After all, how far can we go without clean water?
The theme touches the core of people’s daily lives and also looks at changes that needs to be made, especially by the primary water users, including industries, energy producers and farmers.
#WaterWomen Women play critical roles in aspects of water governance, yet they are visibly missing from the water dialogue.
Thus, to spread awareness about water week and promote the role of women as decision makers, water managers and effective water users, through #WaterWomen campaign and photo contest, SIWI aims to collect images that illustrate these important roles and tell the stories of women as invaluable water managers, decision makers and users.
This plant is the only source of clean water as tube wells in the vicinity have been found to be contaminated by arsenic.
Like Das, people in the Madhusudan Kati village, West Bengal had been drinking water from the wells for the last 20 years without knowing that the water was poisonous, till they found symptoms of illness, which doctors then detected to have been caused by the contaminated water in the village.
Apart from access to safe drinking water for women and children, performance of services and institutions, including schools and health centers, is also impacted.

A list of posts published on Maven’s Notebook this week … Note to readers: Sign up for weekly emails to receive this post delivered to your inbox on Fridays before 10am.
The state has just recently given you the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, or SGMA.
I think SGMA is an important opportunity, but to make it an important opportunity, you have to do much more than what SGMA does.
What is the effect of the amendment on the California Water Fix project?
This month’s question is regarding the recent Delta Plan amendment endorsed by the Delta Stewardship Council.
Randy Fiorini, Chair of the Delta Stewardship Council, and Osha Meserve, an attorney representing Local Agencies of the North Delta and other Delta interests, weigh in.
The amendment is proposed to be included as part of the overall Delta Plan that was originally adopted by the Council in May 2013.
by James E. Cloern, Jane Kay, Wim Kimmerer, Jeffrey Mount, Peter B. Moyle, and Anke Mueller–Solger; and Is Extinction Inevitable for Delta Smelt and Longfin Smelt?
ICYMI: CALIFORNIA WATER FIX: Metropolitan Water District posts second white paper on project operations Metropolitan Water District has posted its second white paper on the California Water Fix, Modernizing the System: California Water Fix Operations.
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WEEKLY DIGEST for July 9 through July 14.
A list of posts published on Maven’s Notebook this week … This week’s featured articles … METROPOLITAN SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON THE BAY-DELTA: California Water Fix, Workshop #1 – Infrastructure: On July 10, the Metropolitan Special Committee on the Delta and the Water Planning and Stewardship Committee held a joint meeting and workshop to discuss the California Water Fix project.
The focus of this workshop is the first white paper staff has produced for the directors on the infrastructure of the California Water Fix proposal.
Read it here: METROPOLITAN SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON THE BAY-DELTA: California Water Fix, Workshop #1 – Infrastructure CALIFORNIA WATER COMMISSION: A primer on State Water Project operations: At the June meeting of the California Water Commission, Tracy Petitt-Polhemus, Supervising Engineer with DWR’s SWP Operations Office, gave this presentation.
Read it here: CALIFORNIA WATER COMMISSION: A primer on State Water Project operations Coverage of HR 23 … THIS JUST IN … HR 23 passes House 230 – 190: Early reactions from Costa, Garamendi, McNerney, and Nunes REACTIONS: California Water Alliance, NRDC, and others weigh in on HR 23, the The Gaining Responsibility on Water (GROW) Act of 2017 MORE REACTIONS to the passage of HR 23, the Gaining Responsibility on Water Act: Congressmen and organizations issue statements THIS JUST IN … Governor Brown writes Speaker Ryan, opposing HR 23, Gaining Responsibility on Water (GROW) Act of 2017 THIS JUST IN … House expected this week to take up HR 23, the Gaining Responsibility on Water Act; Feinstein, Harris oppose bill In water news this week from around the web … WEEKEND DAILY DIGEST: DAILY DIGEST, weekend edition: Milestones and miscues at Oroville Dam; Floating solar farms crop up in California; The next crisis for California may be the affordability of water; and more … MONDAY: DAILY DIGEST: Here’s where construction efforts on Oroville Dam spillway lie in early July; Winnemem Wintu work to bring salmon home from New Zealand; Heat wave kills thousands of cattle, overwhelms dairy industry; and more … TUESDAY: DAILY DIGEST: Jerry Brown’s tunnels would cement his family legacy; From floods to fires; Trump’s environmental rollbacks are hitting major roadblocks; and more … WEDNESDAY: DAILY DIGEST: Fish or farms?
A new battle rages over California water; Big decisions loom on twin tunnels project; Groundwater planning moves into next phase; California moves to lock pre-Trump environmental standards; and more … THURSDAY: DAILY DIGEST: California water bill passes house, but Democrats vow to fight it in the Senate; LA took their water and land a century ago.
Now the Owens Valley is fighting back; DWR wants to construct more of damaged Oroville spillway this season; and more … FRIDAY: DAILY DIGEST: Opponents of California’s Delta tunnels project push alternative strategies; Board of Consultants tweaks former Oroville Dam design recommendation; San Diego County Water Authority discusses ruling; Friday flight over Oroville; and more … News worth noting this week … NEWS WORTH NOTING: Pyramid Lake algal bloom now at ‘warning’ level; Coastkeeper takes legal action to protect San Juan Creek and Doheny Beach from illegal pollution NEWS WORTH NOTING: La Malfa requests delay in Oroville Dam relicensing; New video explains carbon farming in the Delta; Feinstein to CA Senators: Protect the desert from Cadiz; San Diego County Water Authority wins ASCE award NEWS WORTH NOTING: Cadiz issues statement on AB 1000; DWR’s State Fair exhibits inspire water conservation, rain or shine; Metropolitan Board awards $13.9M contract to construct recycled water demonstration facility NEWS WORTH NOTING: Jeff Rieker selected as Operations Manager for Reclamation’s Central Valley Office; EPA requires SoCal plastic manufacturers to protect L.A. River from pollution; Weekly water and climate report Weekly features … RESERVOIR AND WATER CONDITIONS for July 10 BLOG ROUND-UP: Delta tunnels biological opinions, “Spec” groundwater markets, Drought funding and the budget, How difficult would it be for the Trump Administration to replace the Clean Water Rule?, and more … SCIENCE NEWS: California projected to get wetter through the end of the century; Study: Critical Sierra meadows being overtaken by forest; Fishing for pikeminnow: A native predator removal derby; Legal battle drives dam managers to extraordinary salmon research; and more … Announcements this week … ANNOUNCEMENT: Soliciting Comments for the Development of a South Fork Eel River Hydrologic Model ANNOUNCEMENT: Amended Staff Report for MUN Evaluation in Ag Dominated Surface Water Bodies (Central Valley) PUBLIC NOTICE: SPK-2012-00286 of Proposals for Funding from the Sacramento District California In-Lieu Fee Program NOTICE OF OPPORTUNITY for Public Comment and Workshops on Cannabis Cultivation Policy and Cannabis General Order LOW INCOME RATE ASSISTANCE: New Dates for Fresno & San Diego Public Meetings, GlobalMeet/ Dial In Options and New ListServe – Low Income Rate Assistance (AB 401) Sign up for email service and you’ll never miss a post!
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Salvation Army cooling centers open again this week.
Autoplay:Play Video0:00 0:00: 0%: 0%LIVE -0:00 OMAHA, Neb.
(KMTV) – The Salvation Army cooling centers will be this week to anyone seeking relief from the heat, and is asking for bottled water donations.
Council Bluffs bottled water donations can be dropped off at the Council Bluffs Corps, 715 N. 16th St., 9 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays.
Call 402-898-6090 for more information about this site.
Kroc Center at 2825 Y St. will be open 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Call 402-451-4048 for more information about this site.
Call 402-451-4048 for more information about this site.
Council Bluffs Corps at 715 N. 16th St. will be open 9 a.m.-noon and 1-3 p.m. Monday-Friday.
Call 712-328-2088 for more information about this site.

Maven’s Notebook Weekly Digest for July 2 through 9.
A list of posts published on Maven’s Notebook this week … This week’s featured article … METROPOLITAN’S SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON THE BAY-DELTA: Longfin smelt science efforts, California Water Fix update: At the June 27th meeting of Metropolitan’s Bay Delta Committee, committee members heard about Metropolitan’s science efforts with regards to longfin smelt, and an update on the schedule for the decision process for the California Water Fix project.
Lastly, the directors discussed the cost allocation process for the California Water Fix.
In water news this week from around the web … Weekend Daily Digest: Can fish catch a break with the tunnels?
It depends; A snapshot of the Cal Water Fix hearings at the State Water Board; Is California’s response to sea level rise enough?
; Lois Henry on John Vidovich and his water plans; and more … Monday’s Daily Digest: A leap in lampreys: Unlovely fish make welcome comeback; Team investigating spillway wants public input; Construction on Oroville spillway ahead of schedule; Toxic blue-green algae spurs warning for some waters in California; and more … Tuesday’s Daily Digest: Plans advance to enlarge major Bay Area reservoir; California’s lakes are full but fishing remains in a drought; LA DWP won’t drill new wells in Bishop; and more … Wednesday’s Daily Digest: Getting to the roots of California’s drinking water crisis; The drought isn’t over, it just went underground; Toilet to tap?
Some say its time; and more … Thursday’s Daily Digest: More details as twin tunnels decision nears; What’s next for Oroville Dam spillway?
; Bill would protect California desert resources; ‘Worst is over’ for snowmelt, official says; and more … Friday’s Daily Digest: Coachella Valley water agencies appeal to Supreme Court in landmark groundwater case; With San Clemente Dam gone, are steelhead trout about to make a comeback?
; Does Scott Pruitt have a solid case for repealing the Clean Water Rule?
; and more … News worth noting this week … NEWS WORTH NOTING: Oroville Forensic Investigation Team welcomes information about spillway incident; Feinstein, others introduce residential water conservation bill; San Luis Reservoir algal bloom at danger level; LA County’s water affordability crisis NEWS WORTH NOTING: Metropolitan posts first white paper on California Water Fix; Draft enviro docs for Los Vaqueros reservoir expansion; San Joaquin River Restoration Program releases draft fisheries framework for fish restoration NEWS WORTH NOTING: Court of Appeal holds Prop 218 does not require exhaustion of administrative remedies before filing a lawsuit challenging an increase in a fee or charge; Weekly water and climate update Weekly features … BLOG ROUND-UP: Bloggers comment on the Water Fix; Reform before the next drought; Groundwater extraction oversight; Improving hatchery survival; Climate change; Public drinking fountains; and more … SCIENCE NEWS: The big ecological roles of small, natural features; Saving wild salmon all in a days work; Work on Yuba River’s Hammon Bar earns high honors; Calculating ‘old’ and ‘new’ runoff; and more … JULY CALENDAR EVENTS: California extreme precipitation symposium; Building Bay Area resilience; Measuring groundwater pumping for SGMA compliance; Delta Landscapes workshop Announcements this week …

Last week we took at the latest drought conditions across the state of South Dakota.
Sadly, the news isn’t any better this time around.
This week’s U.S. Drought Monitor update, which was released earlier this morning, shows an increase in drought on all levels.
Extreme drought, the second highest level of drought, has doubled from last week’s total.
U.S. Drought Monitor maps come out every Thursday morning at 7:30 Central Time, based on data through 7 a.m. CDT the preceding Tuesday, in this case, July 4.
This means that any rainfall we have received between then and now, including the rain from Wednesday night’s storms, was not included in this update.
Below is a comparison of last week’s report with this report.
Unfortunately, it does not look as though we will get any relief in the next couple of weeks.
Looking even further than that, the signs look even worse.
The Climate Prediction Center (CPC) is predicting a drier than normal second week of the forecast period.