Science Centres: Climate

New Zealand climate in November

Rainfall (click to enlarge).

Temperature (click to enlarge).

November featured frequent ridges of high pressure over New Zealand, with more dry southerly quarter winds than usual. The month was extremely dry in many regions, especially in the South Island, with totals of less than 10 mm throughout much of Nelson, Marlborough, and central Otago.

Temperatures were lower than average in the first half of November, and higher than average later, resulting in a national average temperature of 13.4 ºC which was 0.3 °C below normal.

For more information see www.niwascience.co.nz/ncc/cs/mclimsum_07_11

Soil moisture deficit Soil moisture (click to enlarge). Severe soil moisture deficits developed in Hawke’s Bay, Marlborough, and parts of Canterbury and Otago. Many other areas were drier than normal.

River flows River flows (click to enlarge). Streamflows and riverflows were below normal throughout the country.

September to November: the climate we predicted and what happened

(click to enlarge).

Rainfall

Predicted: Above normal rainfall in the east of the North Island, with normal or below normal rainfalls likely elsewhere.

Outcome: Mostly normal or below normal. Lower than expected in the east of the North Island.

(click to enlarge).

Air temperature

Predicted: Average or above average in all regions.

Outcome: Mostly average; above average in parts of western Northland; below average in Buller, Westland, and Otago, and in some districts in the west and southeast of the North Island.

(click to enlarge).

River flows

Predicted: Normal or below normal in the South Island and west of the North Island. Normal or above normal in the east of the North Island, and normal in the north of the North Island.

Outcome: Stream flows were above normal in northwest Nelson & Buller, and below normal in most other locations.