Drought driving kiwi to forage by day, and around houses and roads

Nature Talk
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i have never heard of anything like this happening before: apparently Northland, the northernmost region of New Zealand, has been in drought for a year:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/118703617/young-kiwi-drown-in-dams-troughs-due-to-northlands-dry-conditions

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This is so sad. I’m devastated by what is happening to our planet and the animals on it through no fault of their own.

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Googling - the winterless North with a subtropical climate?
Drought must wreak havoc!

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I’m guessing your comment is tongue-in-cheek, but the world’s largest desert is in Antarctica, go figure! Drought is a relative term, ie it is in relation to what is normal, and plants that develop shallow root systems because of regular availability of water, will struggle when that shallow supply disappears.

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What is the climate in Northland?

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There’s a climate section in this wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northland_Region

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thanks! Here’s the bit on that page about Northlannd’s climate:

The region of Northland has an oceanic climate ( Cfb in the Köppen climate classification), but a subtropical climate in the Trewartha climate classification with warm humid summers and mild wet winters. Due to its latitude and low elevation, Northland has the country’s highest average annual temperature.[7] However, as with other parts of New Zealand, climate conditions are variable. In summer, temperatures range from 22 °C to 26 °C, occasionally rising above 30 °C. In winter, maximum temperatures vary between 14 °C and 20 °C.[8]

Ground frosts are rare due to the region being encircled by the moderating Pacific and Tasman waters; however, light frosts do occur infrequently around Dargaville in the lowlands.[7] The hottest months are January and February. In January 2009, excessive sunlight hours and below-average rainfall resulted in the region being declared a drought zone.[9]

Typical annual rainfall for the region is 1500–2000 mm but varies at different altitudes. Northland has an average of 2000 sunshine hours annually.[10] Winds are predominantly from the southwest. Occasionally in summer, the region experiences stormy conditions from former cyclones which generally become much weaker once they leave tropical latitudes.[8]

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