Science Centres: Climate
What happened in May, how our climate outlook for the previous three months turned out, global and local sea temperatures, and our outlook for June to August.
Overall, May was a month of extremes. May started with a heat wave on the West Coast of the South Island; on the 1st of the month, 26.7°C was observed at Hokitika and 25.0°C at Westport (both new May records). A tornado swept through Albany (Auckland) on the 3rd. Flooding rains affected Otago on May 7/8, and Nelson and Takaka on May 25/26.
Conditions in the tropical Pacific are now in the neutral range and are likely to stay neutral over the winter. Mean sea level pressures are likely to be above normal to the south and east of the country, and below normal north of New Zealand, with weaker westerlies and more frequent than normal easterly flow over the country.
During Jun-Aug, mean sea level pressures are likely to be above normal to the south and east of the country, and below normal north of New Zealand, with weaker westerlies and more frequent than normal easterly flow over the country. Temperatures are likely to be above average in most regions, but average or above average in the northern North Island and near average in the western South Island. Seasonal rainfall is likely to be near normal over the north and east of both Islands, and normal or below normal over western regions of both Islands.
The climate we predicted and what actually happened.
