Tuesday, 9 March 2004
A season of contrasts: Severe soil moisture deficits in January; floods in February Rainfall: Record high totals in many western North Island locations Temperatures: A warm January but cool February Sunshine: Record low totals in many western North Island regions, but sunny in Otago and Southland
The summer of 2003/04 was a season of extremes. Intense temperatures accompanied by high winds produced life-threatening forest fires in the east of the South Island during December but by the end of February record rainfall in many areas had made flooding the dominant climate hazard. December began warm, but a change to unsettled climate patterns later in January and the very unsettled February resulted in extremely wet and very cloudy conditions in the west of the North Island from Waikato to Wellington, and Wairarapa. February’s weather included a rainfall event that resulted in the most disastrous floods in the Wanganui, Manawatu/Rangitikei region for many decades, as well as flooding in southern Hawke’s Bay, Wairarapa, Lower Hutt, and Picton.
Near or record high summer rainfall occurred in parts of Northland, Auckland, Coromandel, Bay of Plenty, Waikato, King Country, Ruapehu, Tongariro, Taranaki, Wanganui, Manawatu, Horowhenua, Kapiti, Wellington, Wairarapa, and Golden Bay. Summer rainfall was also above average in parts of the north and west of the South Island, but near or below average in the east of the South Island. These largely reversed the extreme fire danger and significant or severe soil moisture deficits in the east of the South Island and parts of Northland until late January. Mean summer temperatures were near average for New Zealand as a whole. However, January was much warmer and February was much cooler than normal. Sunshine hours were above average in the south of the South Island (due to a very sunny December), but record low totals occurred in many western North Island regions. The climate pattern for summer was dominated by more depressions (‘lows’) over and to the south of New Zealand with stronger winds and more frequent westerlies than average.
Auckland and Wellington recorded one of their wettest summers on record. Of the four main centres, Christchurch was the sunniest and driest. Sunshine hours were above average in Dunedin, and well below average in Wellington. Summer temperatures were above average in Christchurch, below average in Wellington, and near average in Auckland and Dunedin.
Rainfall
Rainfall totals were above normal over much of the North Island, Buller, Nelson, and south Westland, and more than 200 percent of (two times) normal in the west of the North Island from Waikato to Wellington, and in Wairarapa. A few areas in Canterbury and Otago recorded below normal rainfall.
Temperatures
Mean temperatures were near average overall throughout much of New Zealand. However, they were above average in parts of Northland, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Wairarapa, Marlborough, and around Christchurch, and below average in Fiordland. The summer national average temperature was 16.8°C (0.2°C above normal).
Sunshine
Sunshine hours were above average in Otago, and Southland. However, totals were well below average from Auckland to Wellington, and record low totals occurred in many western areas from Waikato to Kapiti.
Full report
Full details of Summer 2003/04 summary.
For further information, please contact:
Dr Jim Salinger – Principal Scientist, Climate NIWA National Climate Centre – Auckland Phone +64 9 375 2053 [email protected]
Stuart Burgess – Climatologist NIWA National Climate Centre – Wellington Phone +64 4 386 0569 [email protected]
Geoff Baird – Communications Manager Phone +64 4 386 0543 [email protected]
Acknowledgement of NIWA as the source is required.