Thunderstorms and lightning brought steady rainfall with a sustained period of rain lasting for more than 12 hours.
Yesterday's inclement weather forced the cancellation of Air New Zealand's daily flight into Wanaka, but the persistent rain has not yet brought relief to parched farmland across the district, farmers say.
Otago Federated Farmers immediate past president Richard Burdon, of Glen Dene Station, Lake Hawea, welcomed the rain.
"It's positive in the short term and will help boost winter crop growth," he said.
The rain would bring on some new growth, which would also allow farmers to finish off lambs on their own pasture, Mr Burdon said.
"Some areas are in serious drought conditions.
"It's been a widespread dry [spell]," he said.
Hawea Flat farmer Bill Allison said a "huge heap" more rain was needed to allay long-term drought concerns.
"This moisture could be gone again in two days, if the winds pick up," he said.
Dry norwest winds had had "devastating" effects in the area with farmland experiencing a "moisture deficit", after missing "many months of rain", Mr Allison said.
An estimated 4cm of rain had been measured at a rain station on the Allison farm.
"We need probably double that - again - in about a week's time.
"Otherwise, the grass just greens up and then gets frizzled away again."
Farmers in Central Otago said overnight rain was welcome, but double the quantity would have to fall every night for a week to ease the parched conditions.
Although much of the district recorded at least a trace of rain overnight on Tuesday, some of the driest parts, such as Roxburgh East, missed out again.
Roxburgh East farmer Jeremy Wales said there was barely enough rain to wet the concrete around his house.
"I can smell the rain, but it's gone all around us again," he said.
Alexandra recorded 1.4mm of rain in the 24 hours ending at 9am yesterday, while Gimmerburn received 4.5mm overnight on Tuesday, followed by a strong northwesterly wind which quickly reversed any benefit from the rain.
John Anderson, of Kawarau Station, said only about 3-4mm fell on his Bannockburn property.
Last week, it received 7mm of rain, but there was only 5mm for the whole of November.
"I wouldn't say it's getting dry, it already is dry.
"The scary thing is you can see the barley grass up high this time of the year and come Christmas, 4WD motorists and motorbikers will be kicking around and it'll only take one spark to ignite all that dry growth," he said.
Usually by this time of year, he had taken the first cut off any hay paddocks "but I haven't got a show of doing that yet".
Up to 24mm of rain would have to fall every night for a week to make any difference to the dry conditions, Mr Anderson said.
