Current climate – June 2015

June 2015 was characterised by a strong south-westerly flow anomaly with higher than normal pressures over the North Island extending over the Tasman Sea, and lower than normal pressures over the South Island extending to the south and east of the island.

This flow anomaly brought numerous storms to New Zealand during the month.

Rainfall

Rainfall was above normal (120-149%) or well above normal (> 149%) for much of the Manawatu-Whanganui, Taranaki, Westland, Tasman, Nelson, Marlborough, Canterbury, Otago, and Southland regions. Rainfall was well below normal (< 50%) or below normal (50-79%) for parts of Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay, and north Canterbury.

Temperature

June temperatures were near average across much of the country (within 0.5°C of June average). Below average temperatures were recorded in inland Canterbury, Wairarapa, western Waikato (0.5-1.2°C below June average) and above average temperatures experienced in northern, eastern, and western parts of the North Island and northern, western, and south-central parts of the South Island (0.5-1.2°C above June average). A polar outbreak in late June led to the 4^th-lowest temperature ever recorded in New Zealand.

Sunshine

Well above normal (>125%) or above normal (110-125%) sunshine was recorded in Northland, Auckland, western Waikato, Wellington, Marlborough, north Canterbury, and Central Otago. Near normal sunshine (within 10% of normal) was recorded elsewhere, expect in Franz Josef and Tauranga where below normal sunshine was recorded.

Soil Moisture

As of 1 July 2015, soil moisture levels were below normal for this time of year for East Cape, around and inland from Napier, coastal Wairarapa, coastal southern Marlborough and eastern parts of Canterbury north of Christchurch. It was especially dry about north Canterbury where soils were considerably drier than normal for this time of year.p>