KEY POINTS:
With bright sun for the New Zealand Radio Yacht Squadron's final winter race in Auckland yesterday, spectators might have thought spring had sprung a day early.
The fine news for weather watchers - and radio yacht aficionados - is that a new climate outlook suggests more warm days are on the way.
It will be particularly welcome relief after winter's headline-grabbing stormy and wet conditions. The National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research National Climate Centre's spring outlook predicts average or above average temperatures in Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty over the next three months.
NIWA's climate variability and change principal scientist Dr James Renwick said the mean temperature for Auckland during spring was about 15 degrees - or about 18 degrees during the day and 11 degrees at night.
As well as temperate days, drier conditions were also on the cards.
The new outlook predicted rain at normal or below normal levels in Auckland in spring, a stark contrast to past months.
Dr Renwick said NIWA rain statistics showed Auckland's last completely dry weekend was in early April.
While full winter data was not yet available, early indications suggested most major centres had between 40 per cent and 50 per cent more rain than usual during winter.
New Zealand Radio Yacht Squadron president Richard Plinston said club members were forced into gumboots to wade in and launch their vessels as the pond on which races were held flooded three times with the wet weather over winter.
While yesterday's break in the weather was welcome - "it was nice to have sun" - members didn't let the downpours put them off.
