This winter warmer than normal

It may feel hard to believe but statistics show this winter has been much warmer than normal.

Largely thanks to the nation's warmest June on record, temperatures were up 1C on average in most main centres over the last three months, Niwa says.



Rainfall was also well below average in the eastern South Island and Bay of Plenty.

The winter's climate patterns were dominated by anticyclones to the east of the South Island with more frequent northwesterlies over southern New Zealand and above average pressures elsewhere.