January
A monthly newsletter from the National Climate Centre.
Current climate – December 2008
Rainfall was less than normal in many eastern areas of the country (continuing the pattern from October) and in Southland. Double the normal rainfall for December fell in inland Canterbury and Banks Peninsula and 150% of normal rainfall fell in Northland, western Wellington, Nelson and Marlborough over the month.
December air temperatures were 0.5 °C to 1.0 °C above normal for much of the North Island excluding Northland, Auckland, and Waikato.
Temperatures were also above average in northern Tasman district, and around Westport and Cheviot. Temperatures in the far north of the North Island and in inland Canterbury were 0.5 °C to 1.0 °C below average for the month. Temperatures were near normal in other locations. The national average temperature of 15.8 °C was 0.2 °C above average.
Soil moisture levels in eastern areas of the country, and in Waikato and much of Southland, were between 10 and 50 mm lower than normal at the end of the month.
This month
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