Summer Climate Summary 2013-2014

Summer Climate Summary 2013-2014

Overview
As a whole, lower pressures than normal dominated the New Zealand region from December to February.

Wind flow during the season was quite variable with a weak northerly flow present in December, followed by a strong southwesterly flow anomaly in January. The said flow in December contributed to a very warm start to the summer season with decidedly cooler and unsettled weather following in January.

With the predominant wind shifting into the southeast in February, there was an intensification of the unusually dry conditions for the western and central North Island.

Rainfall for the summer season was below normal for much of the North Island (between 50-80 percent of normal summer rainfall), especially the western Northland, all of the Waikato (excluding the Coromandel Peninsula) and Ruapehu District.

Areas that were particularly affected by the dryness include the western coastal Waikato, southeast through to northern portions of the Manawatu-Wanganui region where Turangi and Ohakune recorded approximately 40% of normal summer rainfall. An exception was eastern Northland where Kerikeri received above normal rainfall (120-150 percent of normal summer rain).

Areas of the North Island receiving near normal rainfall included Hicks Bay, Castlepoint and Wellington (within 20 percent of normal summer rainfall).

For the South Island, below normal rainfall (50-80 percent of normal) occurred in northern sections from Blenheim to Nelson as well as Timaru and Queenstown Lakes District.

he remainder of the South Island recorded near normal rainfall (within 20 percent of normal) except for Kaikoura and Oamaru which recorded above normal rainfall and Ranfurly which received well above normal rainfall (more than 150 percent of normal).

The summer season started off on a warm note throughout the country whereas January was quite a bit cooler and February ended on an average note. Therefore, temperatures this past summer collectively ended up being near average for most of the country (within 0.5°C of the summer average).

For full details and regional breakdowns please click here.

ENDS

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