National Climate Summary June 2009: Cold and frosty with plentiful sunshine

NIWA NATIONAL CLIMATE CENTRE Thursday 2 July 2009

• Temperature: Well below average over much of the country.
• Rainfall: Above normal rainfall in the north and east of the North Island, near normal rainfall for the Wairarapa, Nelson and Marlborough. Below normal rainfall elsewhere, with record low June rainfall in central Otago.
• Sunshine: Well above normal over the north and west of the North Island, as well as Taupo, Bay of Plenty, parts of the Hawke’s Bay, Fiordland and Westland.

 

Extremely low temperatures for June (between 2.0 and 2.5 °C lower than normal) were recorded in the Waikato, Taumarunui, Taupo, southern Hawke’s Bay, Central Otago, the Kaikoura Coast, and some alpine areas of the South Island. All other locations experienced below average temperatures (between 0.5 and 1.8 °C lower than normal). The national average temperature of 7.5°C was 0.7°C below the long-term average for June.

Well above normal rainfall for June (about 150 percent of normal) occurred in northern parts of Auckland, Coromandel, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay. Near normal rainfall was recorded in Northland, the Waikato, Taupo, Wairarapa, Nelson and Marlborough districts. Well below normal June rainfall (less than 50 percent of normal) was recorded in parts of Taranaki and the Manawatu, and across much of the South Island except for Nelson and Marlborough. Extremely low June rainfalls (less than 10% of normal, and the lowest on record for June) were measured in central Otago.

Well above normal sunshine totals for June (greater than 125 percent of normal) were recorded in Northland, Auckland, the Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Taupo, parts of Taranaki and Hawke’s Bay, Fiordland and Westland. Below normal June sunshine (75 – 90 percent of normal) occurred in coastal Otago, coastal Canterbury, the Wairarapa, and around East Cape.

There were several extreme events during June. High winds and rainfall affected Gisborne on the 12^th and 13^th. On the 16^th, snow and ice to low levels affected Otago and Southland. Frosty conditions and cold temperatures affected many areas of New Zealand between the 16^th and 26^th. On the 27^th, thick fog affected Auckland. During the last 3 days of the month, a slow-moving low brought heavy rain, strong winds and thunderstorms to the northeast of the country. Thunderstorms and heavy rain affected Northland and Auckland on the 28^th. The system then brought heavy rain to Coromandel, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, and Hawke’s Bay on the 29^th, as well as snow to the Central Plateau. A civil defence emergency was put in place in Gisborne on the 30^th, as rain continued and rivers rose.

The average pressure pattern for June 2009 was dominated by anticyclones (“highs”) to the far southwest of New Zealand, and higher-than-normal pressures over the country. The persistent wintertime “highs” experienced over New Zealand in June resulted in more frosts, colder than normal temperatures, and more southerly air flows than normal over the country.

Further Highlights:

• The highest temperature during June 2009 was 24.5 °C recorded at Henderson, Auckland, on the 29^th. The lowest temperature during June was recorded at Hanmer Springs, with a minimum temperature of -8.9 °C.
• The highest 1-day rainfall total for June was 91.8 mm, recorded at Whitianga on the 28^th.
• The highest wind gust for June was 133 km/hr recorded at Stephens Island (Cook Strait) on the 28^th.
• Of the six main centres, Dunedin was the coldest and driest, Auckland was the warmest, Tauranga was the wettest, and Hamilton was the sunniest.

 

For further information, please contact:

Ms Georgina Griffiths – Climate Scientist– NIWA National Climate Centre, Auckland,

Tel. (09) 375 4506 (work) or (027) 2936545 (mobile); or

Dr Andrew Tait – Climate Scientist – NIWA National Climate Centre, Wellington,

Tel. (04) 386 0562 (work) or (027) 327 7948 (mobile)

TEMPERATURES: well BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES THE BREADTH AND length OF THE COUNTRY

The national average temperature of 7.5°C was 0.7°C below the long-term average for June. Monthly maximum temperatures were below average in many locations of New Zealand, and well below average (more than 2 degrees below normal) in Northland, the Tararua District, and central Otago. Record low June maximum temperatures were observed at Kaitaia, Whakatane, coastal Waikato, Dannevirke (with a June mean maximum temperature 3.0 °C below normal), Wanganui, Greymouth, and Banks Peninsula.

Extreme low June mean maximum daily air temperatures were recorded at:

 

Monthly minimum temperatures were well below average in many locations of New Zealand. The persistence of the wintertime “highs” resulted in an extended frosty period between the 16^th and 26^th – and this is reflected in the minimum temperatures. Well below average June minimum temperatures were observed at Kaitaia, in the Waikato, at Taupo, Te Kuiti, Taumarunui, Dannevirke, Levin, Hanmer Springs, and Arthurs Pass. Notably, record low June minimum temperatures were observed at Port Tahoroa (coastal Waikato), Pelorus Sound and Taumarunui (3.3 °C below normal).

Extreme low June mean minimum daily air temperatures were recorded at:

 

Sunshine: WELL above normal IN THE NORTH AND WEST OF THE NORTH ISLAND, FIORDLAND AND WESTLAND; CLOUDY ALONG THE COAST IN EASTERN REGIONS

Well above normal sunshine totals for June (greater than 125 percent of normal) were recorded in Northland, Auckland, the Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Taupo, parts of Taranaki and Hawke’s Bay, Fiordland and Westland. Below normal June sunshine (75 – 90 percent of normal) occurred in coastal Otago, coastal Canterbury, the Wairarapa, and around East Cape. Record high sunshine for June was recorded at Taumarunui and Lake Tekapo (with a record 163% of normal June sunshine).

Extreme high June sunshine hours were recorded at:

 

Rainfall: WET IN THE NORTHEAST OF THE NORTH ISLAND; very dry in the southern half of the south island

Double the normal rainfall for June (about 200 percent of normal) occurred in the eastern Bay of Plenty and in Gisborne, most of which occurred in the last 3 days of the month. Conversely, well below normal June rainfall occurred in southern Taranaki, inland Buller, Westland, Fiordland, central and eastern Otago, and parts of Canterbury. Record low June rainfall was recorded at Lumsden, Darfield and Ranfurly – with no rainfall (0 mm) at all recorded at Darfield over the entire month, the lowest since records began there in 1943.

Extreme (high and low) June rainfall totals were recorded at:

 

JUNE CLIMATE IN THE SIX MAIN CENTRES

Temperatures were well below average in Hamilton and Wellington, below average for Auckland, Tauranga and Christchurch, and near average for Dunedin. June rainfalls were near normal for Auckland and Hamilton, but above normal for Tauranga (with much of this rain received in the last 3 days of the month). It was extremely dry in Wellington and both South Island main centres. It was an extremely sunny June in Hamilton and Auckland, but quite gloomy in Christchurch, with below normal sunshine totals recorded there. Near normal June sunshine was recorded in Tauranga, Wellington and Dunedin.

Dunedin was the coldest and driest of the main centres (with only 12 mm of rainfall recorded for the entire month of June), followed closely by Christchurch. Auckland was the warmest of the main centres, Tauranga was the wettest, and Hamilton was the sunniest.

June 2009 main centre climate statistics:

^a Mangere ^b Tauranga Airport ^c Christchurch Airport ^d Ruakura

HIGHLIGHTS AND EXTREME EVENTS

• Temperature

 

The highest temperature during June 2009 was 24.5 °C recorded at Henderson, Auckland, on the 29^th (not a June maximum temperature record at this site). Only one station recorded a near-record high June daily extreme maximum temperature (Kaitaia, recording 20.0 °C on the 11^th).

Record or near record high extreme daily maximum air temperatures were recorded at:

 

Record low June extreme daily maximum temperatures were recorded at Kaitaia (recording a maximum temperature of only 11.1 ºC on the 17^th) and Ngawi (Palliser Bay), recording a maximum temperature of only 6.6 ºC on the 16^th.

Record or near record low extreme daily maximum air temperatures were recorded at:

 

The lowest temperature during June was recorded at Hanmer Springs on the 18^th, with a minimum temperature of -8.9 °C (not a June minimum temperature record for this location). Several sites did record their lowest-ever June extreme daily minimum air temperature; Warkworth, Whanagaparaoa, Part Taharoa (coastal Waikato), Turangi, Paraparaumu, Wellington, Wanganui and Banks Peninsula. The Wellington and Paraparaumu records are notable, in that the minimum air temperature recorded on the 8^th (-0.6 ºC and -4.2 ºC respectively) broke long-standing records, going back to 1962 (Wellington) and 1953 (Paraparaumu).

Record or near record low extreme daily minimum air temperatures were recorded at: