Auckland has been in the path of dominant northeast winds this year, which have also brought wet weather to the likes of Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay, James said.
“Here in Wellington, it’s been really calm because all that wind needs to come over the entire North Island to get to us. So it’s really a case of us being a bit sheltered from that direction.”
While Auckland has experienced significantly less sunshine than it usually would, the Super City still recorded 435 hours of sun over the past three months compared to Wellington’s 394 hours, James said.
James said this will result in more wind coming from the west.
“We do see a return to windy Wellington. The Tararua Range and Cook Strait funnels that wind through and as we flip back over the course of winter to a more westerly setup instead of a northeasterly, we will see windier days for Wellington.”
Wellington City Council spokesman Richard MacLean said the Capital’s good weather has caused problems with the council’s gardens.
“The lack of wind means they’re not drying out as quickly as normal and parks staff are still playing catchup in terms of cutting back growth in some areas that was prompted by last year’s incredibly wet winter and spring.”
The region experienced its wettest winter on record in 2022, which resulted in hundreds of slips falling across the city.
Parks staff have also reported reserves and the waterfront are much busier than usual for this time of year, MacLean said.
Meanwhile, rubbish collectors were happy, he said.
“[They] are loving the fact that recycling bins are not being blown over and shedding their loads as often.”
Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has been making the most of the calm weather.
“I’ve enjoyed the winter weather and taking my dog Teddy on walks. I also enjoyed Ahi Kā and all the Matariki celebrations on the waterfront. Wellington is such a special place, even in the heart of winter.”
Other Wellingtonians chose to escape to their favourite destinations for the long weekend, including nearby Martinborough.
Poppies general manager and horticulturist Shayne Hammon said the cellar door experienced a busy weekend with “absolutely beautiful” weather.
“A nice warm sunny winter’s day is definitely beneficial, we’re very happy about having them.”
It’s pruning season in the vineyard after a difficult harvest, Hammond said.
The view from Poppies in Martinborough at Matariki. Photo / Georgina Campbell
“Cyclone Gabrielle brought us 10 days of rain when we needed 10 days of sun, so the white wines are looking fantastic but the red wines are going to look more pretty and light rather than structured and powerful.”
Hammond hoped El Nino will bring more manageable conditions.
“We hate to say it because we don’t really like the wind, but that is way more preferable than the last period with the cyclone- it was pretty devastating. We work with mother nature all the time and deal with the consequences of it but that was really quite severe.”
Georgina Campbell is a Wellington-based reporter who has a particular interest in local government, transport, and seismic issues. She joined the Herald in 2019 after working as a broadcast journalist.
