The interactive map below shows how rain has varied in the months of January and February over the past 10 years.

It also reveals how severe the drought is when compared to the one in 2008.

We've visualised only two months of data from 77 weather stations over 10 years to keep it clear.

The complete data set is available for download at the bottom of the page. In the instances where the lines are missing in the chart, the data is not available. The data was obtained from NIWA website.

Keith Ng has calculated the percentage change for January and February this year compared to the past five years. A colour-coded map showing the percentage change is below.

 

Percentage change in January and February 2013 compared with past five years.

The red marker is for -100 to -66.66, the yellow is for -66.66 to -33.33, the green for -33.33 to 0 and the blue for any positive percentage

Click here to download the data or browse it below -

- © Fairfax NZ News