Warmest spring day so far, at 23.2 degrees

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Yesterday was the warmest day of spring so far . . . and the warmest day in some four-and- a-half months.

The mercury climbed over the 23.2 degree mark at around 3pm — the warmest afternoon since April. It hit 24 degrees on a private gauge at Makaraka.

April 23 saw the temperature gauge at the Gisborne Airport reach 23.8 degrees, and again hit 23 degrees on May 2.

The last time it reached 20 was on May 20, but yesterday was the fifth day this month the mercury has hit or passed the 20-degree mark.

So far the mean daily maximum temperature for the month has been 18.4 degrees.

This is 1.3 degrees above the 30-year (1991-2020) mean daily temperature for September  of 17.1.

The all-time record high for September is 25.4 degrees, set back in 1955.