Further measures as authorities grapple with a record-breaking drought in Auckland

Watercare has invoked emergency powers to take an additional 15-million litres a day from the Waikato River - on top of the 150 already being taken.

CEO Raveen Jaduram says the drought is severe - and the rain they were expecting over the weekend didn't come.

He says the lake storage is 44 per cent full - which is less than at the beginning of the month.

Jaduram says by the end of the month we need to be more than 50 per cent full, but it doesn't look like we will be.