NIWA has released their National Climate Summary for Spring 2011 – and in a nutshell it was extremely dry from Taupo northwards and wet for the eastern South Island.
Full report below from NIWA
Stronger than normal southwest winds affected New Zealand during spring 2011, squeezed between higher than normal pressures over the Tasman Sea and lower pressures to the southeast of the country.
It was an extremely dry spring north of Taupo, with about half of normal spring rainfall observed in Taupo, parts of the Waikato, Coromandel, north Auckland and Northland. It was the driest spring on record for Matamata and Leigh. Spring rainfalls were also below normal (between 50 and 79 percent of spring normal) in Gisborne, Hawkes Bay, and much of the West Coast of the South Island. In contrast, spring rainfalls were above normal in Southland, Otago and Canterbury, as well as in some locations between New Plymouth and Levin (with totals more than 120 percent of spring normal). Spring rainfall totals were generally close to seasonal normal elsewhere (between 80 and 119 percent of normal).
By the end of spring, significant soil moisture deficit (more than 110 mm of deficit) was observed in regions north of Taupo, also Hawkes Bay, Gisborne, Marlborough, and central Otago.
Mean temperatures in spring were above average (between 0.5°C and 1.2°C above spring average) in eastern Northland, Coromandel, and Bay of Plenty. Regions which experienced below average spring temperatures (between 0.5°C and 1.2°C below average) were around the Central Plateau, Hawkes Bay, Wairarapa, Wellington, and Canterbury. Elsewhere, for much of the country, temperatures were within 0.5°C of spring average. The nation-wide average temperature in spring was 11.9°C (0.2°C below the 1971–2000 spring average) using NIWA’s seven-station temperature series which begins in 1909.
Spring 2011 was a sunny month in eastern regions of both islands, with above normal sunshine totals (between 110 and 125 percent of spring normal), consistent with the frequent southwest winds during the spring. Elsewhere, sunshine totals were generally near normal (between 90 and 110 percent of spring normal).
Further Highlights:
– Visit www.niwa.co.nz for more information
Add new comment
Peter of Dunedin on 6/12/2011 5:36am
Cooler than notmal – yes; extremely wetter -no! Anyhow, the vicious and mainly dry sw’ers suck any moisture gains from soil and plants.
Reply
Guest on 6/12/2011 3:59am
Extremely wet for Canterbury yet Christchurch was the driest main centre even though it was ‘extremely dry’ north of Taupo. Not sure how that works unless ‘extremely wet’ in Canterbury is actually drier than ‘extremely dry’ in the upper north!
Reply