NZ’s third-warmest winter on record sends Northland temperatures soaring

The sun shines over Te Hononga, the Hundertwasser Memorial Park in Kawakawa, on a July morning as parts of the Far North experienced some record winter temperatures.

It may not have seemed like it at times, but New Zealand just went through its third-warmest winter on record, with parts of Northland, particularly the Far North, having record, or near-record, high temperatures.

The Niwa Climate Summary for winter – the three months from June to August – shows the country registered its 12th-warmest June, eighth-warmest July, and ninth-warmest August on record.

Overall, the nationwide average temperature for winter was 9.6C. This was 1C above the 1991-2020 average, making it New Zealand’s third-warmest winter since Niwa’s seven-station temperature series began in 1909.

New Zealand’s warmest and second-warmest winters on record were 2022 and 2021, respectively, Niwa climate scientist Gregor Macara said, with five of the country’s six warmest winters occurring since 2020.

Winter followed an autumn that was wetter, drier, sunnier or warmer than normal in Northland, depending on where you lived.

Macara said mean sea level air pressure for winter 2024 was higher than normal over the east and south of the country. This was associated with more easterly and northeasterly winds than normal and relatively few cold southerly outbreaks. This resulted in warmer-than-average temperatures throughout the season.

He said 40 locations nationwide produced record or near-record high mean temperatures during winter. Kaitāia’s mean air temperature for the three months was 13.8C – 1.5C above the winter normal and the town’s second-highest for winter since records began there in 1948.

Forty locations across the country recorded record or near-record high mean temperatures during winter, including parts of Northland.

Kerikeri’s figure of 12.7C – 0.7C above the norm – was its fourth-highest winter total since records began there in 1945.

Dargaville at 13C – 1.1C higher – had its fourth-highest since records began in the Kaipara town in 1943. Kaitāia also recorded a mean minimum winter temperature of 10.5C, 1.6C higher than the season’s norm and the third highest since records began.

At the same time, Kerikeri recorded a mean minimum winter temperature of 8.6C – 1C above the seasonal norm and the fourth highest on record.

Both Far North towns also had near-record daily highs for the season.

Kerikeri recorded a high of 21.6C on June 10, the town’s second-highest winter temperature since records began, while Kaitāia also reached 21.6C on June 8, its third highest on record. Kaitāia also produced its equal highest minimum air temperature of 18.2C on June 9.

Dargaville notched its equal fourth-highest daily winter temperature of 21.7C on August 31.

Whangārei had its third-highest mean maximum air temperature for winter since records began in 1967 at 17.3C and its equal third-highest daily minimum temperature of 16.4C on June 10.