KEY POINTS:
Extreme and deadly weather hit the country during April, the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) says.
Floods covered the top half of the country while it remained drier than normal in the south, climate scientist Jim Salinger said.
Rainfall rates as high as 40mm per hour produced flash floods - one such flood drowning seven people in the Tongariro National Park - and lightning, which killed a man and his horse in Northland.
Record high rainfall fell in Bay of Plenty and Taupo, and double the average rainfall doused parts of Northland, Wellington, Nelson and Marlborough, with below average over the southern half of the South Island.
The temperature was above average in the west of the North Island, but below average in inland Canterbury and Otago.
Mr Salinger said the national average temperature was 13degC.
The highest temperature recorded during April was 27degC at Culverden, in North Canterbury, on April 15, and the coldest day, -5.1degC left people shivering in Lauder in Central Otago.
The highest one-day rainfall was 132mm recorded in Takaka on April 14.
The strongest wind gust, 137km/h, was felt on Stewart Island on April 21 and two tornadoes hit the country near Westport and Napier.
Of the five main centres, Auckland was the warmest, Wellington the wettest and sunniest and Christchurch the driest.
- NZPA
