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Current climate – December 2014

December 2014 was characterised by higher than normal pressure centred near the Chatham Islands and extending over New Zealand with lower than normal pressures over the Tasman Sea and eastern Australia. This pressure pattern resulted in an anomalous northeasterly airflow over the country.

Rainfall

The northeasterly wind flow anomaly for the month as a whole contributed to rainfall totals that were above normal (120-149%) or well above normal (> 149%) for central and eastern Northland, Coromandel Peninsula, Coastal Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay regions. The drying orographic effect of air moving westward over elevated land meant that rainfall was below normal (50-79%) for much of the Waikato and parts of the Manawatu-Wanganui regions for the month. However, coastal regions from Taranaki to Wellington received above normal to well above normal December rainfall. Generally speaking for the South Island, with the exception of the northern third of the island, December rainfall was below normal or well below normal rainfall (<50%).

Temperature

December temperatures were above (+0.51°C to 1.20°C) or well above average (>1.20°C above average) for much of the South Island, particularly for areas along and west of the Divide, with mostly near average temperatures (-0.50°C to +0.50°C) east of the Divide. For the North Island, December temperatures were largely near average for most of the island. However, parts of the central and eastern regions recorded below average temperatures (-1.20°C to -0.51°C) with pockets of well below average temperatures (< 1.20°C below average) experienced. A few locations in the

Sunshine

December sunshine was abundant for much of the South Island, in particular, along either side of the of the Divide as well as much of Southland and Otago where monthly sunshine hours were above normal (110-125%) to well above normal (>125%). For the North Island, near normal sunshine (91%-109%) was recorded, although below normal December sunshine was evident from the Kapiti Coast to Wellington as well as parts of the Waikato.

Soil Moisture

As of 1 January 2015, soil moisture levels were below normal for the time of year for extensive areas of New Zealand, but especially for the Waikato, lower Hawke’s Bay, Wairarapa and along and east of the Divide in the South Island. Wetter than normal soils for this time of year were evident over parts of upper West Coast for the South Island as well as for northern Gisborne, coastal Bay of Plenty, much of the Coromandel Peninsula as well as central and eastern Northland.

Percentage of normal rainfall for December 2014
End of month water balance in the pasture root zone for an average soil type where the available water capacity is taken to be 150 mm.
Departure from average air temperature for December 2014

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