Current climate – December 2009

During December 2009, higher than normal pressures over the Tasman Sea and New Zealand (particularly over the North Island) resulted in sunny skies and more frequent southwesterly winds over the country. This pattern is typical of El Niño conditions, and has contributed to the lower than normal rainfall in the north and east and higher than normal rainfall in the west and south of the country.

Percentage of normal rainfall, December 09.

End of month water balance in the pasture root zone for an average soil type, where the available water capacity is 150 mm.

Departure from average air temperature for December 2009.

Rainfall

Well below normal rainfall (less than 50 percent of normal) was recorded in much of the Far North District for December. It was also drier-than-normal (between 50 and 80 percent of normal) in Central North Island, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, southern Hawkes Bay, Tararua District, Wairarapa, Northern South Island, Canterbury and Otago. December rainfall was above normal (between 120 and 150 percent of normal) in the south and west of the South Island and coastal Taranaki. Soil moisture levels on 31 December 2009 were well below normal (more than 50mm below normal) in the Far North, Central North Island and Eastern Bay of Plenty.

Air temperature

Temperatures were near average (between -0.5°C and 0.5°C from average) for most of the country. Below average temperatures (between 0.5 and 1.0°C below average) were recorded in parts of Hawkes Bay, Kapiti, South Canterbury, West Coast and Southland. Above average temperatures were recorded in parts of Bay of Plenty, Coromandel and Northland. The national average temperature was 15.3°C (0.3°C below the long-term December average).

Sunshine

December sunshine totals were well above normal (more than 125 percent of normal) in the north and east of the North Island and parts of North Canterbury. Much of the rest of the country received above normal sunshine (between 110 and 125 percent of normal).

See our December 2009 climate summary.

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