KEY POINTS:
January was mostly a hot dry month for New Zealand but it was not without a few tornados and hailstorms.
It was hotter and drier than average across most of the country with soil moisture levels generally below normal, January figures from the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa) found.
Sunshine hours were more than double normal for most of the country except Southland and Otago, where they were near or below average.
Temperatures were between 1.5 and 2.5degC warmer along the east coast of the South Island from Kaikoura to Mosgiel and between 0.5 and 1.5degC warmer for western Bay of Plenty, eastern North Island, inland Canterbury, inland Otago and much of Southland. Temperatures in the rest of the country were near normal.
The national average temperature for January was 17.6degC - 0.6degC above average.
Rainfall was less than half normal for much of the country, except in Gisborne, Southland, Manawatu and northern Taranaki, which received normal or higher than normal rainfall, Niwa said.
The month was not without extremes.
Heavy rain fell in Queenstown and on the West Coast overnight on January 2 causing rivers levels to rise quickly.
The next day, lightning, thunder, gale force winds and large hailstones hit many places in Canterbury, postponing the international cricket match against the West Indies in Christchurch and briefly closing Christchurch International Airport, Niwa said.
In Ashburton that day, gale force winds brought trees down on to power lines, causing short circuits and fires and cutting power to more than 10,000 homes in the area.
Further south, a tornado hit Waikouaiti, 42km north-east of Dunedin. It tore past a local farmhouse, ripping tiles off the roof and smashing windows while the family cat took refuge inside the piano.
On January 8, another tornado tore the roof off the Bannockburn Hotel in Cromwell, Central Otago, and dumped it on to nearby power lines cutting power to the area for about 20 minutes.
Flash floods stuck Canterbury on January 18, with torrential rain and hail in Ashburton turning streets into rivers in just half an hour.
There were more northerly and northeasterly winds over the country than normal for the month, which contributed to the low rainfall and warm temperatures, Niwa said.
The highest temperature for January was 37.2degC, recorded at Waione in the Wairarapa on January 8 - a January record for that location.
The lowest temperature of 0.3degC was recorded at Hanmer Forest on January 11.
The most rainfall in one day was at Milford Sound on January 6, where 204mm dropped, while the second highest wind gust for January since records began (130km/h) was recorded at Southwest Cape on January 21.
- NZPA
