Taupō weather report: February rainfall so far breaks records

It has been a wet start to February for Taupō. Photo / NZME

Taupō's February weather highlights. Photo / Supplied

The first part of February has seen a complete turnaround in the weather.

Taupō went from close to complete drought conditions to record-breaking rainfall within a matter of days.

Following a record dry January, February has now produced some record rainfall figures for Taupō. The new record established at the weekend was a 24-hour fall of 96mm recorded at the 8am observation time on Saturday, beating the original maximum 24-hour fall for a February month in Taupō, formerly 67mm recorded on February 16, 2011.

The new 24-hour fall brought almost one-and-a-half times the average rainfall for February.

The rain was the result of a decaying or weakening tropical cyclone Dovi that had moved down from Noumea where it gathered some days before. The cyclone season runs from late January to April and it is not unusual for the odd cyclone to venture into New Zealand waters, especially this year when the pressures in the tropics to the north have been unusually active.

Temperatures in Taupō for the first part of February have been well above the average and the humidity unusually high, especially noticed during the night times.

A glance at the barometric pressure readings will give some indication as to the approach of former tropical cyclone Dovi. The 8am reading on Sunday was 994hPa as the system was approaching the central North Island.