Summer swings from cold to hot

Temperatures swung between extremes during the three months of summer, with the country experiencing the coldest December since 1945 but the eighth warmest February on record.

Overall the temperature for the three-month period December, January and February had been 0.3degC below normal, the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa) said in a national climate summary for summer 2004/05 released today.

December had been the 5th coldest on record with the country hit by frequent southerlies, while in February frequent northeasterlies had made their mark.

"The first 10 days of February were very hot, with maximum temperatures of 30degC or more in many locations throughout New Zealand, and 35degC or more in sheltered inland areas of the South Island," Niwa said.

Summer rainfall had been well above average in parts of southern Wairarapa and in the eastern South Island from mid Canterbury to Southland.

Timaru had its wettest summer in nearly 50 years, and along with Martinborough had more than twice as much rainfall as usual. Eastern Bay of Plenty had below average rainfall.

The highest temperature of the summer had been 38.7degC at Alexandra on February 4, and had been the highest temperature recorded in the Central Otago township since records began in 1929.

It was one of only a few occasions when temperatures in this country had climbed above 100 on the previously used Fahrenheit scale -- 37.8deg on the celsius scale now used, Niwa said.

At Murchison, maximum temperatures had been 30degC or higher on 10 consecutive days from February 1 to 10.

Despite that, mean temperatures for the three months had been below average in many regions, going 1degC or more below average in parts of Auckland, King Country, coastal Wairarapa, coastal Otago and inland Southland. Parts of central Wairarapa were above average.

Sunshine hours had been above average in Wairarapa, and slightly above average in other eastern North Island regions. They had been below average in Waikato and coastal Otago.

Of the four main centres Wellington had been the sunniest with 692 summer sunshine hours, compared with 617 for Auckland, 646 for Christchurch and 441 for Dunedin. The figures for the three sunnier centres were near average, while Dunedin's was below average.

Christchurch was driest with 156mm of rain, while Auckland had 218mm, Wellington 244mm and Dunedin 289mm. Auckland was slightly below average while the other three centres were above average.

Auckland was warmest with a mean temperature of 18.4degC, while Wellington had 16.3degC, Christchurch 16.1degC, and Dunedin 13.8degC. All were below average but Wellington only slightly so.

- NZPA