Backgrounder
Backgrounder
Before the wet...
The year 2001 to 30 September was the driest January to September period of the past 30 years in many places (highlighted by the darkest shade of pink in the map below).
...and after
October to December rainfalls exceeded 1 in 10 year highs in central New Zealand and northern North Island regions.
2001 rainfall totals for January to September (upper map) and October to December (lower map) recorded at the sites indicated, shown according to their positions in respective rankings of all January to September or October to December rainfall totals for the past