As of 24 March, the New Zealand Drought Index (NZDI) map below shows that widespread dry to very dry conditions extend from southern Northland to Wellington, excluding Taranaki, and across the east of the North Island, as well as Marlborough, eastern and coastal Canterbury, parts of Otago and Southland.

The New Zealand Drought Index (NZDI) map below shows that dry-to-very dry soils are found in the northeastern South Island and along parts of eastern Canterbury.

Hotspots are currently in place in much of Northland, parts of Auckland, northern Waikato and a small portion of East Cape, while hotspots have strengthened in eastern Wairarapa and expanded to include the eastern Tararua District and coastal Hawke’s Bay. The New Zealand Drought Index (NZDI) map below shows that meteorological drought and severe meteorological drought are in place in the northern half of the Far North District.

Once again, significant rainfall occurred in the western North Island during the past week, with widespread amounts of greater than 50 mm from southern Waikato to Kapiti Coast.

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Much of the South Island saw small to moderate soil moisture increases during the past week, also small decreases occurred from Clutha District to Invercargill.Due to the expected rainfall over the next week, the western and lower North Island will likely see additional soil moisture increases.

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And while conditions have improved in most regions, NIWA meteorologist Ben Noll says river flows and soil moisture levels remain below normal for large parts of the North Island and upper South Island while before last weekend drought still persisted in the Coromandel Peninsula.

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As of 12 January, the New Zealand Drought Index (NZDI) map below shows that the upper North Island continues to have widespread very dry to extremely dry soils, and some locations could approach meteorological drought conditions with additional dry weather in the coming week.

Across the South Island, substantial rainfall during the past week led to soil moisture increases along the lower West coast, Fiordland, parts of Otago, lower Canterbury along with northern Tasman and Marlborough.

The driest soils across the North Island compared to normal for this time of the year are now found in southern Northland, northern Auckland, much of the Coromandel Peninsula, the Hauraki District, and coastal Wairarapa.

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Last year, parents in Lockport, New York, protested plans by school officials to install a $1.4 million facial recognition system, saying it was inappropriate to use such potentially intrusive technology on children.

Security News this Week: Palantir Manual Shows How Law Enforcement Tracks Families. If you happened to buy the Blue Smart hair straightener from Glamorizer—perhaps not even realizing it had Bluetooth capability, because why would it?—then TechCrunch is sorry to report but hackers could totally seize your device, and well, change the temperature of the hot iron remotely, if they wanted to.

The Supreme Court’s conservative justices ruled Thursday that the highest court doesn’t have the power to address partisan gerrymandering , the practice in which politicians redraw district maps to help their own party win more elections.

But the hunter photographer Makar Tereshin followed there in January—his fifth trip to the region while shooting his stunning series Fields of Fall — was after bigger, more exotic prey: a 65-foot-long Soyuz rocket booster.

The driest soils across the North Island compared to normal for this time of the year are found in central Taranaki District and parts of western Waikato where the soil moisture levels continue to be well below average for this time of year.

Soil moisture levels as of 13 February are below normal for the vast majority of the North Island, with the driest soil compared to normal for this time of year in the New Plymouth District, parts of western coastal Waikato and the Aupouri Peninsula.

Across the South Island, soil moisture levels decreased during the past week with meagre rainfall in the north and east.

Across the South Island, soil moisture levels generally decreased in northern areas, although small improvements were observed in interior Otago, Southland, and Stewart Island.

The driest soils in the North Island compared to normal are currently found in the eastern Far North District, around New Plymouth, and coastal Horowhenua. Across the South Island, soil moisture levels generally increased in Southland and the lower West Coast and remained constant or slightly decreased elsewhere.

With the rainfall amounts anticipated in the next week, additional soil moisture improvements are likely parts of the central and eastern North Island with the greatest potential for soil moisture increase from the eastern Bay of Plenty through to the Hawke’s Bay regions, particularly in the higher terrain.

Parts of Queenstown-Lakes District in Otago, the Grey and Buller Districts in the West Coast, northeastern Marlborough, and the Waimate District in southern Canterbury experience well below average rainfall for this time of year, while the rest of the island had near normal rainfall.

The current pattern of higher than normal pressure and prevailing westerlies, bringing generally dry conditions especially in the east, is expected to continue over the next seven days.

Rural Kids Face an Internet 'Homework Gap.' The FCC Could HelpReliable broadband is not guaranteed in southern Utah, a region of towering plateaus, sagebrush valleys and steep canyons.john lambing/AlamyBefore and after classes at Panguitch High School, a low-slung brick building nestled in the high desert of southern Utah, students find their way to Shawn Caine’s classroom.

And, if you’re a parent or teacher, see below for book recommendations for kids.Solar-powered schools and electric busesPhoto Illustration by The New York TimesSchools around the country are taking an interest in clean energy, putting solar panels on roofs and swapping diesel school buses for electric versions.But it’s not always easy for a school to go green.