Science Centres: Climate

During July 2009, there was a transition towards more southwesterly winds across New Zealand. Lower than normal pressures continued east of the country.

Percentage of normal rainfall for July 2009.

End of month water balance in the pasture root zone for an average soil type where the available water capacity is taken to be 150 mm.

Departure from average air temperature for July 2009.

Rainfall

Well above normal rainfall for July (about 150 percent of normal) occurred in Southland, Stewart Island, and parts of Fiordland, Westland and Buller.  Well below normal July rainfalls (less than 50 percent of normal) were recorded in Taranaki, Kapiti Coast, Wellington, southern Wairarapa, Marlborough, and parts of Canterbury and North Otago.  Elsewhere, over the majority of the country, July rainfall was near normal. 

Air temperature

It was the third month in a row with below average temperatures over much of the country – although the cold temperatures in July were not as unusual as those in May or June. Well below average temperatures for July (between 1.2 and 2.0 °C lower than normal) were recorded in North Otago, alpine areas of Canterbury and Westland, and Waiouru. Most other regions around the country experienced below average July temperatures (between 0.5 and 1.0 °C lower than normal), except for near average temperatures at either end of the country (in the southwest of the South Island and the north of the North Island). The national average temperature of 7.3°C was 0.4°C below the long-term average for July.

Sunshine

July 2009 was a sunny month across much of the South Island, and in the north of the North Island.  July sunshine totals were well above average (greater than 125 percent of normal) around the Kaipara and Manukau Harbours, and in Nelson, Marlborough, Buller, and parts of Canterbury and Otago.  In contrast, well below normal July sunshine totals (less than 75 percent of normal) were recorded in Wellington, the Kapiti Coast, and the southern Wairarapa.

See our July 2009 climate summary.

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