Climate Update 98 - August 2007

Ensuring buildings stand up to heavy snow

Following the 12 June 2006 Canterbury snowstorms, the Department of Building and Housing engaged NIWA to undertake a study to examine snow loading in New Zealand. This was prompted by the collapse of several buildings from the heavy snowfall, and the concurrent review of the proposed new building standard AS/NZ 1170.
The NIWA report showed that there were insufficient snow loading data for a robust review of the proposed building standards, and recommended a systematic data collection campaign following future severe low-elevation snowstorms.

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.