Overview
| Temperature | Temperatures were above average (+0.51°C to +1.20°C of average) for most of the country. Temperatures were near average (±0.50°C of average) for parts of Waikato, northern Canterbury, and inland parts of Otago and Southland. |
| Rainfall | Rainfall was below normal (50-79% of normal) in parts of southern Northland, central Waikato, the Ruapehu District, and northern Canterbury. In contrast, rainfall was above normal (120-149% of normal) about the Bay of Islands, Gisborne, Tasman, Nelson, Marlborough, the Mackenzie Basin, and eastern and central parts of Otago. |
| Soil moisture | At the end of winter, soil moisture levels were near normal for most of the country. Soil moisture levels were above normal for isolated parts of Central Otago. |
Winter 2024 mean sea level air pressure was higher than normal over, east and south of Aotearoa New Zealand. This was associated with more easterly and northeasterly winds than normal, particularly over the South Island, with relatively few cold southerly outbreaks. This resulted warmer than average temperatures throughout the season, with the country registering its 12th-warmest June, 8th-warmest July, and 9th-warmest August on record. Overall, the nationwide average temperature for winter was 9.6°C. This was 1.0°C above the 1991-2020 average, making it New Zealand’s 3rd-warmest winter since NIWA’s seven station temperature series began in 1909. New Zealand’s warmest and 2nd-warmest winters on record are 2022 and 2021, respectively.
June and July were dry months for many parts of the country, although eastern and central areas of Otago were relatively wet during these months. The lack of rain contributed to low hydro lake levels for the time of year. Unsettled westerly airflows prevailed over the country during the second half of August, with a number of fronts passing over the country. This weather pattern delivered abundant precipitation to the main divide, boosting hydro lake levels, and balancing out overall winter rainfall totals for parts of the country that had been drier than normal up to that point.
ENSO-neutral conditions prevailed in the tropical Pacific during the season, although an increased prevalence of easterly-quarter wind flows in New Zealand was likely influenced by an ocean-atmosphere system that was progressing toward La Niña.
Further highlights for winter 2024:
- The highest temperature was 25.7°C, observed at Hastings on 10 June. This is the second-highest temperature ever recorded in New Zealand for the winter season.
- The lowest temperature was -11.8°C, observed at Lake Tekapo on 3 August.
- The highest 1-day rainfall was 139 mm, recorded at Arthur’s Pass on 9 June.
- The highest wind gust was 181 km/h, observed at Cape Turnagain on 12 August.
- Of the available, regularly reporting sunshine observation sites, the sunniest four regions in
2024 so far are wider Nelson (1766 hours), Marlborough (1758 hours), Bay of Plenty (1737 hours) and Tasman (1717 hours). - Of the six main centres in winter 2024, Auckland was the warmest, Tauranga was the sunniest, Wellington was the wettest, Christchurch was the coolest and driest, and Dunedin was the least sunny.
