Taupō Weather Report: Cooler temperatures and rain have arrived

Unsettled weather is expected to continue through much of the week ahead. Photo / Supplied

Last week's weather highlights. Photo / Supplied

Last week's weather in Taupō was, as predicted, considerably cooler than the first week of the month.

Temperatures dropped dramatically and frosts were recorded on Thursday and Friday morning. Friday's frost of -2.8C was exceeded by the frost of -3.2C recorded the next morning. While neither frost was especially heavy, each was nonetheless significant in that it was the heaviest frost of the year so far and heralded the first real signs of the winter ahead.

Generally, fine conditions prevailed for much of the week as the high-pressure system persisted. Still, towards the end of the week, pressures began falling with the advance of a new system from the Tasman Sea bringing welcome rainfall.

This unsettled weather is expected to continue through much of the week ahead as the familiar westerly conditions of the winter begin to take over.

By the weekend, generally colder conditions can be expected in the Taupō region. There has been no really significant rain during the month of May since 2017 and 2018, when 130mm and 195mm were recorded respectively, while falls in May 2019, 2020 and 2021 were below 100mm each.

The wettest May on record was in 2001, when as much as 213mm was recorded on 16 wet days, and the driest recorded May was in 2017 with just 71mm.