Current Climate - June 2010

June 2010 was a very wet month for most regions of the country, with active lows originating over the Tasman Sea affecting the country during both the first and last week of the month. Double normal June rainfall was recorded in Marlborough and parts of the Bay of Plenty and Waikato.

Percentage of normal rainfall, June 2010.

End of month water balance in the pasture root zone for an average soil type, where the available water capacity is 150 mm.

Departure from average air temperature for June 2010.

Rainfall

Well above normal rainfall (more than 120 percent of normal) was experienced in Taranaki, the Central North Island, the remainder of the Bay of Plenty and Waikato, Coromandel, parts of Auckland, Canterbury and parts of Otago.  Rainfall exceeded 120 percent of normal elsewhere in the North Island (except Northland and Gisborne, where closer to normal June falls were recorded).  In comparison, below normal rainfall (between 50 and 80 percent of normal rainfall) was recorded on the West Coast, in Fiordland, and across much of Southland – as well as near Cape Reinga.

Air temperature

June temperatures were close to average (within 0.5°C of average) across much of the North Island, on the West Coast of the South Island, and in Fiordland.  In contrast, temperatures were below average (between 0.5°C and 1.2°C below average) for inland and eastern areas of the South Island, and were well below average (around 2°C below average) in small pockets of inland Otago and inland Canterbury.  Nelson recorded temperatures between 0.5°C and 1°C above average. The New Zealand national average temperature was 8.8°C (+0.3°C above the 1971-2000 June average). 

Sunshine

It was an extremely sunny June for the lower half of the South Island, and also Northland.  Sunshine totals were well above average (more than 125 percent of normal) in Northland, for coastal areas between Invercargill and Dunedin, and around Mt. Cook.  In contrast, it was extremely cloudy in the lower North Island, from Taranaki to Wellington and including the Wairarapa, as well as Nelson, Marlborough, and around Christchurch, with sunshine totals between 75 and 90 percent of normal.  Elsewhere, sunshine totals were closer to normal.

See our June 2010 climate summary.

click here to subscribe to the Climate Update e-mail list