Monthly

March 2008 another month of summer & drought

Temperature: Above average especially Waikato, King Country, central and south west North Island
Soil moisture: Significant deficits in the west of the North Island from Auckland to Manawatu, Wairarapa and Marlborough until end of the month
Rainfall: Low in Auckland, Waikato, Canterbury and Fiordland
Sunshine: Above average especially from Taranaki to Wellington, Marlborough and southern New Zealand

March was another month of summer and records.
March 2008 was warmer than December 2007, with temperatures well above average everywhere.

February 2008: A Northland flood, but generally a very dry North Island

Rainfall: Very wet in Northland, and north and central Canterbury; dry over the remainder of the North Island
Soil moisture:  Significant deficits in many North Island areas, Marlborough, and the southeast of the South Island
Temperature: Above average in western areas, especially South Island southwest
Sunshine: Extremely high in the south, and also the southwest of the North Island.

February was a month of contrasts.
Rainfall was 50% (half) or less of normal over much of the North Island from Manukau southwards, a

January 2008: heat waves & drought

Rainfall: Extremely low in northern areas from Auckland south, Wairarapa, and the coastal northeast of the South Island
Temperature: Above average especially Waikato, King Country, Nelson and inland South Island
Sunshine: Extremely high in the south; well below average in Northland
Soil moisture:  Severe deficits in many North Island areas and the east of the South Island

January was a month of records.
Heat wave conditions occurred across inland areas of the South Island, and even extended to coastal parts of Canterbury and central Marlborough, fo

Warm in many regions; severe soil moisture deficits persist in the east and inland areas of the South Island

Rainfall: Below normal rainfall in Bay of Plenty, south west of North Island and inland areas of the South Island, very wet start to December in Northland
Temperature: Above average in the north and west
Sunshine: Well above average in the south, well below average in the north

December 2007 was characterised by near or below normal rainfall in many regions of New Zealand.

Sunny with low rainfall - severe soil moisture deficits in Marlborough and Central Otago – hot spell in the north and east

Rainfall: Well below normal in many regions, especially Marlborough, Nelson, and Otago
Temperature: Near average, apart from high temperatures in the north and east between the 20^th and 26^th
Sunshine: Above normal in many regions

November 2007 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.

Stormy and generally cold with frequent spring gales

Wind: Much more wind than normal, with frequent gales from the westerly sector
Temperature: Well below average in the South Island and parts of the North Island, above average in Hawke’s Bay and parts of the north
Rainfall: Above normal in many regions, especially in the South Island.
Sunshine: Near or above normal in most regions

October 2007 was rather stormy and generally cold with deep depressions tracking south of New Zealand and frequent westerly gales.

Rainfall: Below normal in many areas, near or above normal in the parts of Northland, east of the North Island, parts of Otago and Fiordland.
Temperature: Above average in the north of the North Island, and parts of the South Island.
Sunshine: Above average in the south west of the North Island, western and inland
Wind: Less wind than normal

September 2007 was a relatively benign month with more anticyclones and less wind than normal, and less extremes. This resulted in less rainfall than normal in many areas, especially the west of the North Island.

Rainfall: Below normal in the north and east of the South Island, near or above normal in regions exposed to the west
Temperature: Above average in the North Island, near average elsewhere
Sunshine: Well above average in Wellington, Nelson, and inland South Canterbury
Wind: More southwesterlies than normal; northwest gales during the second week

August 2007 was a month which was windy at times with frequent disturbed southwesterlies, especially to the east, resulting in low rainfall in sheltered northern and eastern South Island regions, and normal or above normal rainfall in several other r

A month of extremes and contrasts – severe floods; numerous damaging tornadoes and destructive winds in the north; ice and severe frost in the south

Temperature: Below average in the lower South Island; above average throughout much of the North Island
Rainfall: Well above normal in the north and east of the North Island, and coastal South Canterbury and Otago; below normal in the north and west of the South Island
Sunshine: Above average in the west and south of the South Island; below average in the east of the North Island
Wind: Easterly gales in the north, but quieter in the south

Cold and wintry in the south, warmer in the north, sunny

Temperature: Below average over much of the South Island, warmer in the north of the North Island
Rainfall: Below normal in the northeast of the South Island, above normal in the south of the South Island
Sunshine: Above average in many regions
Wind: Rather windy at times over the south with strong westerlies and south westerlies

June 2007 was a wintry month in the South Island, especially in the south, with frequent bitterly cold southwesterlies, producing snowfall to low levels in Southland and Otago (as well as South Island high cou

Warmest May on record
Indian summer in many parts of New Zealand; flooding in Nelson and Taranaki

Rainfall: Record low rainfall in the north and east, well above normal in Nelson
Soil moisture: Significant deficits in the east of the North Island, as well as Otago
Temperature: New Zealand’s warmest May in over 140 years of temperature measurements
Sunshine: Above average in many regions, especially in the east

May 2007 produced a truly Indian Summer ^[1] for much of New Zealand with record temperatures for the month and the driest May on record in the north and east.

Rainfall: Below normal in most regions
Soil moisture: Significant deficits persist in Hawke’s Bay, central Marlborough and Central Otago
Temperature: Below normal over much of the North Island
Sunshine: Above average in many areas

April was a relatively dry month overall, especially over the North Island and the north and west of the South Island. It was an autumn like month, with anticyclones to the west and winds from the southerly sector producing cooler than normal conditions for many and plentiful sunshine with the dryness.

Rainfall: Extremely wet in Northland at the end of the month, with devastating floods; below normal in the east
Soil moisture: Severe deficits in eastern regions from Gisborne to Marlborough, as well as Central Otago
Temperature: Above average in most regions, especially Canterbury and Otago
Sunshine: Above average in the east

Historical daily rainfall records were swept aside in eastern parts of Northland as exceptionally high rainfall rates produced widespread flooding and extensive infrastructure damage.

Rainfall: Well below normal in most regions, flood producing rainfall in Northland
Soil moisture: Severe deficits in eastern regions from Gisborne to Otago, as well as Auckland, Waikato, Eastern Bay of Plenty, Wanganui, Manawatu, Wellington, and Nelson
Temperature: Above average in western and inland South Island regions, below average in many northern and eastern regions
Sunshine: Extremely sunny in the west of the South Island

February was very dry with 50 percent (half) or less of normal rainfall in many regions of New Zealand.

Rainfall: Below normal in many regions, areas of above normal rainfall in Northland, Bay of Plenty, Taupo, near East Cape, Wellington, and Nelson
Soil moisture: Severe deficits in Auckland, Nelson, eastern regions from Gisborne to Marlborough, and Central Otago
Temperature: Above average in the east of the North Island and on the South Island’s West Coast; below average in the east of the South Island
Sunshine: Below normal in many regions, sunny in Southland

January was generally cloudy with low rainfall over much of New Zealand, and east-west temperature contrasts.
Rainfall was below

Rainfall: Well below normal in the north of both islands; above normal in the east, especially Canterbury
Wind: More frequent cold southerlies
Temperature: One of the coldest Decembers in the last sixty years
Sunshine: Sunnier than normal in the north of both islands

December was unusually cool for the time of year, due to more frequent southerly winds. Temperatures were 2 to 3 °C below normal (making it coldest start to December for many years) throughout New Zealand during the first half of the month, with little change during the last two weeks.

Rainfall: Rather dry in eastern Northland and Gisborne; well above normal in the southwest of the North Island, and much of the South Island
Severe soil moisture deficits in Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay, significant deficits in other northern and eastern regions
Wind: Stormy westerlies over the South Island – especially mid-month
Temperature: Very warm in the east of the North Island, cold in the southwest of the South Island
Sunshine: Sunny in Gisborne, very cloudy in the west of the North Island

November was a month of much larger than normal contrasts in climate from west to east

Rainfall: Well above normal in Auckland, Wairarapa, Manawatu, and near Christchurch; below normal in Central and East Otago
Significant soil moisture deficits continue in North and Central Otago; deficits developing in other eastern regions
Wind: Much windier than average over the South Island and southern North Island
Temperature: Average or below average in all regions
Sunshine: Very sunny inland South Canterbury, East Otago, and Southland

October was another month of climate extremes. It was windier than usual over most of the South Island and southern half of the North Island.

Rainfall: Extremely low in the east from Wairarapa to Otago; above average in Fiordland and coastal Southland
Significant soil moisture deficits in Central Otago, deficits developing in other eastern regions
Temperature: Above average, especially in the east from Marlborough to Central Otago
Sunshine: sunny in Gisborne, Otago, and inland South Canterbury
Very windy in the south of the South Island

September was a month of climate extremes with record low rainfall and high mean temperatures at many locations.

Rainfall: in the south of the North Island, as well as Bay of Plenty, Taupo, Wanganui, and around Christchurch – landslips in several areas; dry over much of the South Island
Temperature: Near average in many regions; warmer in Hawke’s Bay, cooler in Otago
Sunshine: Extremely sunny in Otago and Southland

August rainfall was well above normal in southern parts of the North Island, including Wanganui, Kapiti, Wellington, Wairarapa, and also in Christchurch, with frequent landslips during the month.

Rainfall: Very wet in Wairarapa, Wanganui, and Wellington (landslips and severe flooding in some areas); extremely dry in parts of Northland, Auckland, and parts of Otago
Temperature: Above average in the east of the North Island, Marlborough, Nelson, and Southern Lakes; below average in Northland, inland South Canterbury, and North Otago
Sunshine: Very sunny in the north and west of the North Island, as well as inland South Canterbury and coastal Otago

July was warmer than June (by 0.8 °C).

Severe winter snowstorms hit Canterbury and the central North Island
Temperature: Coldest June since 1972
Sunshine: Well above average in western and southern regions; record June totals in Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Taranaki and coastal Otago
Precipitation: Above average in many eastern regions, especially South Canterbury; below average in Bay of Plenty

Two severe winter snowstorms accompanied by bitterly cold conditions, and later heavy frost contributed to a particularly cold June. The national average temperature of 7.3 °C was 1.2 °C below the 1971-2000 normal.

Rainfall: Well above average in Northland, Auckland, and Canterbury; well below average parts of Otago
Temperature: Above average in northern and eastern parts of the North Island; below average in the east of the South Island
Sunshine: Very sunny in North Westland and Southland; rather cloudy in Gisborne and parts of Canterbury

May was very wet, with about 200 percent (twice) of normal rainfall, in parts of Northland and Auckland, and in many coastal areas of Canterbury.

Rainfall: Above average over much of New Zealand; Severe flooding in Otago and Coromandel
Soil moisture: Significant deficits eliminated in many areas
Temperature: Warm, highest nationally since 1981, and 8th highest in reliable records
Sunshine: Very sunny in Gisborne, rather cloudy in North Westland

Flood-producing rainfall events occurred in north and east Otago over 25/26 April, and in the Hauraki-Coromandel region over 27/28 April. As a result the month’s rainfall was very high in these regions.