KEY POINTS:
Spring weather in New Zealand was dominated by more anticyclones than usual off the east coast, climate scientists say.
These "highs" made much of the country mild and sunny and dry in the north and east, the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric research (Niwa) said today.
Of the five main centres, Auckland had the warmest average spring temperature, Wellington was the wettest, and Christchurch was the sunniest and driest. Spring sunshine was above normal in Auckland and Christchurch and well above normal in Dunedin.
Nationally, spring sunshine hours were at least 110 per cent of normal in parts of Northland, King Country, Hawke's Bay, Tararura district, Mount Cook and coastal Otago. In the Tasman district totals were lower than usual, 90 per cent of normal.
The national average temperature of 12.4degC was 0.3degC above average for spring.
Temperatures were above average in Canterbury and Central Otago, and below average on the West Coast and Tararua district.
Spring rainfall was below normal in the east, and less than half the usual rain fell in parts of Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, and south Canterbury.
By the end of spring, significant soil moisture deficits had developed throughout eastern areas from Gisborne to Otago. Rainfall was between 50 and 80 per cent of normal in parts of Northland, Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Marlborough, Canterbury and Otago.
Heavy rain in Taranaki on October 7 caused flash floods in mountain streams that killed a tramper swept away attempting to cross the swollen Kaupokonui Stream on Mt Taranaki.
Heavy rain from a northerly subtropical flow caused floods in Nelson and the West Coast on November 24.
The lowest temperature during spring, minus-6.1degC, was recorded at Lake Tekapo on October 25, and the lowest maximum temperatures were recorded over three days from September 4 - with Hanmer Springs only reaching 2.8degC on September 5: the lowest maximum for spring.
The highest temperature during spring was 33.3degC recorded at Waione in the Wairarapa, on November 24. The previous night, Wanganui recorded a minimum temperature of 19.2degC - the highest minimum for the country.
The strong westerly winds brought seven bouts of damage in the South Island and lower North Island. Wind gusts hit 140km/h on September 23 at Swampy Summit above Dunedin, 100km/h at Taiaroa Head, 135km/h on the Rock and Pillar Range, near Middlemarch.
Wind speeds of up to 130km/h were recorded in Wellington, and up to 160km/h in some of the surrounding hills on October 7, and the capital was really hammered on November 1 when winds up to 140km/h lifted roofs, cut powerlines, and disrupted flights.
There were two major snowfalls, one on September 27 brought snow to low levels in Otago and Southland, and the second, on November 5, blanketed inland Southland, Fiordland and Central Otago with snow and hail - the first time since the 1970s people there had seen so much snow in November.
- NZPA
