Official Word On Climate For 2008

Official Word On Climate For 2008: Sunny, Warm, But A Rollercoaster Of Extremes

NIWA's National Climate Centre has just released its National Climate Summary for 2008.

In summary, 2008 was sunny and warm, but a rollercoaster year for extremes

Key points include:

* It was sunny or very sunny over much of the country, with near record or record sunshine totals recorded in the central North Island, parts of Hawke's Bay and the south of the South Island.

* The national average temperature was of 12.9°C during 2008, milder than normal. This was a result of five warm months with above average temperatures for the country as a whole and only one with below average temperatures. Temperatures were between 0.5 and 1.0°C above average in the west of the North Island and Nelson, and up to 0.5 °C above average in most other regions.

* Rainfall during the year was 135 percent of normal or more in Wellington and central Marlborough. Only in parts of Fiordland and southern Hawke's Bay were annual rainfall totals 80 percent of normal or less.

Notable climate features in various parts of the country were:

* the economically disastrous drought in the west of the North Island in the first part of the year (estimated costs of at least $1 billion)

* floods in central North Island areas causing loss of life

* damaging floods in July and August in Marlborough and Canterbury

* a significant snow storm in August followed by some unusual late spring snowstorms.

The July and August events have estimated insurance costs of $68 million. By the end of the year, dry conditions had set in over the east of the country.

Of the main centres, Wellington was extremely wet, and Dunedin very sunny and dry.

ENDS

New Zealand national climate summary – the year 2008:
2008sum_finaloverview.doc

Climate Extremes For 2009: More Detail
Part one: 2008sum_finalextremes_temp_flood.doc
Part two: 2008sum_finalextremes_other.doc

© Scoop Media