Monthly

Rainfall: Ex-tropical cyclone and high rainfall in Northland; low rainfall in Nelson and inland south Canterbury
Soil moisture: Deficits persist in Wanganui, Manawatu, and the north and east of the South Island
Temperature: Cold, especially in the South Island; lowest nationally since 1993
Sunshine: Sunny in the far north, and in Westland

March was cold with mean temperatures being the lowest since 1993. The national average temperature of 14.2 °C (almost 3.0 °C lower than in February) was 1.5 °C below the 1971-2000 normal.

Rainfall: High rainfall in eastern Bay of Plenty; extremely low in parts of Northland and Auckland
Soil moisture: Widespread deficits in the north of the North Island, and east of the South Island
Temperature: Near average in most regions; below average in Westland
Sunshine: Extremely sunny in the far north, normal or above normal elsewhere

A contrast of rainfall occurred in the North Island in February, with relatively high totals in eastern Bay of Plenty, and extremely low totals in parts of Northland and Auckland.

Temperature: Well below average in the west of the South Island; above average in the east of the North Island; Central Otago heat-wave toward the end of the month
Rainfall: Well above normal in Northland, inland Bay of Plenty, Taupo, and Southland; well below normal in Horowhenua
Soil moisture: Significant deficits in the east of the South Island, and southwest of the North Island
Sunshine: Normal or above throughout New Zealand

Western South Island temperatures plummeted in January, especially noticeable after one of the warmest Decembers on record.

Rainfall: Wet in the north and west of the North Island, especially Northland, western Bay of Plenty, and Wanganui; below normal in Hawke’s Bay and Marlborough
Soil moisture: Significant deficits in eastern regions from Hawke’s Bay to Otago, as well as Kapiti, Wellington and Nelson
Temperatures: Well above average in most places, third warmest December on record
Sunshine: Normal or below normal throughout New Zealand

Contrasts in rainfall occurred in December, with extremely high totals in northern parts of Northland, western Bay of Plenty, and Wanganui (highest in 115 years of

Rainfall: Well below normal in Taranaki, Kapiti, and Golden Bay, above normal in Coromandel, Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay, and the far southwest of the South Island
Soil moisture: Significant deficits in eastern regions from southern Wairarapa to Otago, as well as Kapiti, Wellington, and Nelson
Temperatures: Warm at first, much cooler during the last week
Sunshine: Very sunny in Northland, Westland, Nelson and Southland

Little rainfall occurred in many regions during the first two to three weeks of November.

Rainfall: Above average in the North Island, below average over much of the South Island
Soil moisture: Significant deficits developing in Marlborough, south Canterbury and much of Otago
Temperature: Above average in the northern half of the North Island, below average in eastern regions
Sunshine: Very sunny in Buller and Westland
Flooding: Significant in the Gisborne region

Contrasting rainfall patterns between the North and South Islands were a highlight in October.

Rainfall: Below average in many regions, especially Nelson
Temperature: Above average almost everywhere
Sunshine: Sunny over much of the North Island, below average sunshine in coastal Canterbury
Snowstorm: Significant snowfall event affects the eastern South Island

September was the third consecutive month with above average temperatures. September was also drier and sunnier than normal in many regions, especially during the first two weeks and in the closing days.

Temperature: One of the warmest Augusts on record; record breaking temperature extremes
Rainfall: Below average in many regions - especially in the east from Hawke’s Bay to Otago; above average in the far southwest of the South Island
Sunshine: Extremely sunny in the North Island, above average over much of the South Island
August was much drier, warmer, and much sunnier than normal over most of New Zealand. Many northern and eastern regions of the country recorded less than 50 percent (half) of their normal rainfall.

Temperature: Third warmest July on record
Rainfall: Below average in many eastern districts from Wairarapa to Otago, above average in the north of the North Island
Sunshine: Well above average in inland south Canterbury and coastal Otago, below average in Taranaki, Nelson, and Marlborough
July, for many, was very much warmer, and windier than normal. The national average temperature of 9.1 °C was 1.2 °C above normal, and the third highest for July in reliable records dating back to the mid 1860s. Only July 1998 (9.6 °C) and July 2000 (9.3 °C) were warmer.

Rainfall: Extremely dry in the east of the South Island, above normal in Hawke’s Bay and Southland
Sunshine: Well above average in the northern North Island, and the south and west of the South Island
Temperature: Below average in the south and east of the South Island, near normal in much of the North Island
June for many was drier and sunnier than normal. Rainfall was well below normal in Marlborough, Canterbury, and parts of Otago, where many locations recorded totals ranging from 5 to 15 mm, some sites experiencing their driest June since the mid 1980s.

Rainfall: Record high rainfall in the Bay of Plenty
Temperature: Well above average throughout much of the North lsland, warm also in the north of the South Island
Sunshine: Above average in the south of the South Island
While record rains lashed Bay of Plenty in May, the South Island received above average sunshine. The month was very warm over the North Island and northern South Island.

Rainfall: Below average over much of New Zealand, especially Northland, Auckland, Coromandel, Bay of Plenty, Nelson and central Marlborough, with significant soil moisture deficits still present
Sunshine: Above average in most regions, with records in Northland, Auckland, Nelson and Dunedin
Temperature: Cooler in the lower North lsland and much of the South Island
April 2005 was exceptionally dry and very sunny month overall, with less than 25 percent of normal rainfall and near or record low rainfall totals in parts of Northland, Auckland, Coromandel, Bay of Plenty, Nelson and central Marl

Rainfall: Above average over much of the North Island and the north and southwest of the South Island – below average in the north of the North Island
Temperature: Above average in the North Island – near average over much of the South Island
Sunshine: Above average in the north of both islands, including Buller and northern Westland – below average in the south of the North Island and southern South Island
Several destructive tornadoes
March 2005 was unsettled with above average rainfall over much of the North Island, especially Wairarapa.

Temperature: Extreme warmth – extended heat-wave – 8th warmest February on record
Soil moisture: Severe or significant deficits throughout much of the North Island, and the north and east of the South Island
Rainfall: Below average in many eastern areas – above average in north Westland and the east of the South Island, from south Canterbury to Southland
Sunshine: Above average in the west of the South Island and southern half of the North Island
February 2005 was one of the warmest on record.

Soil moisture: Severe deficits in Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay, and north Canterbury, significant deficits in many other regions
Rainfall: Below average in many areas, especially eastern Bay of Plenty, above average in the south of the North Island, central Marlborough, and parts of Otago
Temperature: Cool at first, warm later; several heat-waves
Sunshine: Average for most, sunny in the east of the North Island
Relatively cool conditions prevailed during the first ten days of January.

Temperature: Coldest December since 1945, many new records set
Rainfall: Well above average in the east from Hawke’s Bay to Southland; below average rainfall in Westland and Fiordland
Sunshine: Rather cloudy in many areas
December was the fifth coldest on record overall since reliable temperature measurements were established in 1853, and the coldest since 1945. The national average of 13.4°C was 2.2°C below normal, lower only in 1902 (12.9° C), 1911 (13.0 °C), 1914 (13.2°C), and 1945 (13.3°C).

Temperatures: Above average overall: Mild in parts of the Manawatu, Wairarapa, Canterbury, Dunedin and Southland, slightly below average in the north
Rainfall: Below average over much of the North Island, and northern half of the South Island; above average in the southern half of the South Island
Soil moisture: Deficits persisted in coastal Marlborough, and are showing up in Hawke’s Bay, Canterbury and areas of north and Central Otago
Sunshine: Above average in Northland, Auckland, Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay and Wairarapa, Nelson and Marlborough; below average in Westland, Fiordland an

Rainfall: Well below average in South Westland, Fiordland and the Kaikoura Coast; well above average rainfall in parts of Hawke’s Bay and Wairarapa
Temperatures: Near or above average temperatures in the North Island, near or below average temperatures in much of the South Island
Sunshine: Near or records highs in coastal Otago and Southland, near or record lows in the southwest of the North Island
Rainfall was well below average in south Westland, Fiordland, along the Kaikoura Coast, in Banks Peninsula, and parts of inland South Canterbury.

Rainfall: Well below average in Northland and Hawke’s Bay; above average in Central New Zealand and some eastern South Island districts
Temperatures: 3rd consecutive month with below average temperatures
Sunshine: Above average in many eastern regions
September was dominated by cold southwesterlies. Rainfall was well below average in North Island areas sheltered from these, with the development of significant soil moisture deficits on the Kaikoura Coast.

Temperatures: Coldest August overall in more than ten years.

Rainfall: Extremely wet in eastern Bay of Plenty, with high rainfall and devastating floods; very dry in eastern Otago with below normal rainfall in many other regions
Temperatures: Below average, and very frosty in Canterbury and Otago;
Sunshine: Above normal in most places with some new July records, cloudier in the far north and east of the North Island
Eastern Bay of Plenty’s rainfall deluge during July was in complete contrast to conditions in much of the South Island and many northern and western North Island regions.

Temperatures: Very warm, especially in the east from Wairarapa to Central Otago
Rainfall: Extremely dry in North Canterbury, but above average in many western regions
Sunshine: Sunny over much of the in the North Island, but cloudier than usual in Westland as well as Motueka and Queenstown
June 2004 was the 5^th warmest on record, temperatures being well above average, especially in the east from Wairarapa to Central Otago, by 1.5–2.5°C. More northwesterlies produced the milder temperatures.

Rainfall: Very dry overall. Extremely low rainfall in Northland, Auckland, Coromandel, and Bay of Plenty
Temperatures: Cold.

Temperatures: Warm, especially in Bay of Plenty and Gisborne
Rainfall: Wet in Northland, Auckland, Coromandel, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Hawke’s Bay, Golden Bay, Canterbury and parts of Otago, but dry in the south and west of the North Island, as well as Wairarapa
Sunshine: Sunny in the west of the North Island, coastal Otago, and Southland, but extremely cloudy in Riwaka, Blenheim and Mt Cook
May’s climate was much warmer than usual, with temperatures almost the same as April 2004.