July's climate
New Zealand climate in July 2006
Rainfall (click to enlarge).
Temperature (click to enlarge).
July, normally the coldest month of the year, was warmer than June, providing a reprieve from the very cold start to winter. The national average temperature of 8.2 °C was 0.3 °C above the 1971-2000 normal. July temperatures were above average in the east of the North Island, Marlborough, Nelson, and Southern Lakes, and below average in Northland, inland South Canterbury, and North Otago.
High rainfalls were recorded across much of the southern North Island, where in some places it was the wettest July in more than 30 years. Otago and Northland were drier than usual.
For more information on the climate in July, visit the climate summaries page at www.niwascience.co.nz/ncc/cs/mclimsum_06_07
Soils remain wet Soil moisture (click to enlarge). Soils across the country were mostly at or above field capacity at the end of the month, with particularly wet conditions in parts of Canterbury. |
Record flows River flows (click to enlarge). Record low stream flows in Northland and Auckland contrasted with record high stream flows in the east and south of the North Island. South Island stream flows were above normal in the east and normal to below normal elsewhere. |
May 2006 to July 2006: the climate we predicted and what happened
(click to enlarge).
Rainfall
High rainfalls occurred in the eastern North Island and in Canterbury as predicted. It was drier than expected in Northland and in the southern South Island.
(click to enlarge).
Air temperature
Air temperatures were mostly lower than predicted in the west and north of the North Island, and in western, central, and southern parts of the South Island. Elsewhere temperatures were near average in line with predictions.
(click to enlarge).
River flows
Stream flows were above normal in the east of the North Island, and normal to above normal in the north and southwest of the North Island and the east of the South Island. Near normal stream flows occurred elsewhere in the South Island.
The three outcome maps give the tercile rankings of the rainfall totals, mean air temperatures, and mean river flows that eventuated from May to July, in comparison with the forecast conditions.
As an approximate guide, middle tercile rainfalls typically range from 80 to 115% of the historical normal, and middle tercile temperatures range about the average by plus or minus 0.5 °C.