December 2024

After what was a dry spring, December brought rainfall, and lots of it! Unfortunately, it was just in time for the holidays…179% of the average December rainfall fell across the region and totals were particularly high in the north.

The rain was enough to boost soil moisture levels across most of our sites and river flows in Northern Hawke’s Bay. However, groundwater levels remained well below normal for December along with river flows in the southern half of the region.

December was also warm, with daytime temperatures 2.1 °C warmer than usual and nighttime temperatures 2.3 °C warmer than usual. Water quality at some of our recreational sites was affected by the rainfall but the beaches remained suitable for swimming.

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