Science Centres: Climate

New Zealand climate in July

Rainfall (click to enlarge).

Temperature (click to enlarge).

July rainfall was above normal in the north and east of the North Island, and in coastal South Canterbury and Otago; the north and west of the South Island were drier than normal.

Air temperatures were below normal in the lower South Island and above average throughout much of the North Island. The national average temperature of 8.1 °C was 0.2 °C above normal. [For more details see www.niwascience.co.nz/ncc/cs/mclimsum_07_07]

Soil moisture deficit Soil moisture (click to enlarge). Soils were saturated at times in areas affected by the high July rainfalls, particularly in Northland, Coromandel, Hawke’s Bay, and coastal Canterbury and Otago.

River flows River flows (click to enlarge). River and stream flows were below normal in the north and northeast of the South Island, above normal in the north and east of the North Island, and normal to above normal elsewhere.

May to July: the climate we predicted and what happened

(click to enlarge).

Rainfall

Predicted: Normal or below normal in the east of the both islands; near normal elsewhere.

Outcome: Below normal in central regions of New Zealand; above normal in parts of Hawke’s Bay, eastern Northland, and Otago.

(click to enlarge).

Air temperature

Predicted: Above average in most regions and near or above average in the north of the North Island.

Outcome: Above average in the North Island and the north and east of the South Island. Near average elsewhere.

(click to enlarge).

River flows

Predicted: Streamflows were expected to be normal in the north and west of the North Island, and normal or below normal elsewhere.

Outcome: Streamflows were normal or above normal in the east of the North Island and the west of the South Island, and normal to below normal elsewhere.