The Anglican bishops of Waikato and Taranaki have issued a call to prayer for drought-stricken farmers.

Archbishop David Moxon and Bishop Philip Richardson have made the request to all people of Christ in an email.

"We pray for those whose livelihoods are founded on farming that they know they are not alone," it reads.

"God is with them.

"We pray for the necessary rain to allow farmers to continue to work their herds and their fields to provide us with the food and drink necessary for all of our existence.

"Help us and people everywhere to share resources with one another, and remember that what we have is so easily taken for granted."

Scientists take a more hands-on approach.

Georgina Griffiths, a climate scientist with the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, says much of the country is experiencing "extreme soil moisture deficit".

"February was characterised by blocking highs that were slow moving over New Zealand. So they kept all the rain bearing systems away. it was an extremely dry and rather sunny month for many regions."

Whitianga got 35mm when it usually gets 112mm, Hamilton got 20mm instead of 70mm, and Te Kuiti got 46mm, or half of normal rainfall.

While it wasn't the driest February on record, Ms Griffiths says the dry pattern began in November so February was the "nail in the coffin".

The month was also characterised by sunshine hours well above normal.

But the seasonal outlook is better.

"Our models are clearly talking about a mild autumn, March looks somewhat dry, which is not good news, but the March to May rainfall, as a whole, looks near normal for Taupo north," Ms Griffiths says.

"Because of the existing soil deficits across the North Island, even at near normal seasonal rainfall, the soil moisture levels and river flows are expected to take some time to recover."