Cars abandoned in Dunedin after one of several heavy snowfalls that hit last month. Photo / Otago Daily Times
Cars abandoned in Dunedin after one of several heavy snowfalls that hit last month. Photo / Otago Daily Times
KEY POINTS:
June may have seemed cold throughout the country, but only the South Island suffered more than usual.
Figures released by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research's National Climate Centre showed average temperatures were 0.6C below normal nationwide, and up to 1C below normal in Otago.
Inthe North Island, temperatures were about 0.5C above average in parts of the north and east and near average in most other regions.
Part of the reason the month may have felt chilly was the contrast with a record warm May, which was on average more than 4C higher than last month's average temperature.
The Deep South also had twice the normal rainfall in parts of Southland and at least 1.5 times the normal rainfall in South Otago and Westland.
However, much of the country had about 75 per cent of normal rainfall, including Horowhenua-Kapiti, Wellington, Wairarapa, Marlborough, Nelson and parts of Canterbury.
Snowfall was also recorded to low levels in Southland and Otago between June 7 and 9 and again between June 20 and 24.
The Deep South also suffered from more recurrent cold southwesterlies than usual, the strongest and most frequent for June since 2002.
There were major rainfalls at Arthurs Pass (85mm on June 1), and Westland (130-170mm on June 29).
The highest temperature was 22.4C, at Rangiora on June 1, and the lowest was minus 10.8C at Tara Hills, Omarama, in Central Otago, on June 22.
Sunshine hours were above normal in all five main centres. Rainfall was below normal only in Wellington.
Temperatures were above normal in Auckland and Hamilton and below normal in Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. Christchurch was the coldest, driest and sunniest of the five main centres.
