And things are getting dry.
The fire risk across the Waitaki District was now elevated, Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) Waitaki group manager Mike Harrison said.
"We’ve had a lot of rain in early summer or late spring, but the recent dry weather we’ve had over the last week or two has definitely contributed to the dryness around the district.
"We are attending a few more vegetation fires recently and a lot of those have been around the use of machinery, things like stone strikes, which shows that the vegetation will ignite pretty easily at the moment."
While farm machinery could still be used in a restricted fire season, farmers should be cautious, Mr Harrison said.
"I highly recommend that it be used in the morning when there’s a bit of moisture on the ground and the temperature is a bit lower."
Mid to late afternoon when temperatures were often high was the most risky time to operate machinery in the current conditions.
"Just be aware of any rocks or any other debris in your fields when you’re operating."
Fenz would continue to monitor the weather and conditions but restrictions would not be lifted "anytime soon," Mr Harrison said.
