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Current Climate - August 2010

August 2010 mean temperatures were above average (between 0.5°C and 1.2°C above average) across all regions of New Zealand, except for eastern Otago, where temperatures were near average (within 0.5°C of average). Small areas of well above average temperatures (more than 1.2°C above average) were observed in Northland, eastern Bay of Plenty, Nelson and Fiordland. The New Zealand national average temperature was 9.6°C (0.9°C above the 1971-2000 August average).


Percentage of normal rainfall, August 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 August 2010.

Rainfall

It was an extremely wet August across most of the country.  Rainfalls were well above normal (more than 150 percent of normal) for all of the North Island except Hawkes Bay, as well as in Nelson and Marlborough, and parts of Canterbury and Otago.  Double normal August rainfall was observed around Kaitaia, Coromandel and the Bay of Plenty, and eastern Otago.  It was the wettest August on record for parts of the Bay of Plenty, Wanganui and Turangi.  In contrast, Fiordland and Southland recorded below normal rainfall (between 50 and 80 percent of normal). For Hawkes Bay and the West Coast, rainfall was near normal (between 80 and 120 percent of normal).

Air temperature

August 2010 mean temperatures were above average (between 0.5°C and 1.2°C above average) across all regions of New Zealand, except for eastern Otago, where temperatures were near average (within 0.5°C of average).  Small areas of well above average temperatures (more than 1.2°C above average) were observed in Northland, eastern Bay of Plenty, Nelson and Fiordland. The New Zealand national average temperature was 9.6°C (0.9°C above the 1971-2000 August average). 

Sunshine

It was a very cloudy month over much of New Zealand.  August sunshine totals were below average (between 75 and 90 percent of normal) across the entire North Island, as well as for inland and eastern areas of the South Island.  Turangi, Stratford, Martinborough and Christchurch recorded well below average sunshine (between 50 and 75 percent of normal).  It was the cloudiest August on record for Turangi and Martinborough. Sunshine hour totals were closer to normal in the west and south of the South Island (ranging between 90 and 110 percent of normal).

See our August 2010 climate summary

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