Southern temperatures close to average or above
If you thought 2024 was colder than usual, you may be getting used to our warming environment.
In fact, Niwa recorded New Zealand’s 10th-warmest year on record.
And in Central Otago and Southland, temperatures during 2024 were actually near average.
It may be even more surprising for people living in eastern parts of Otago to learn that the temperature in 2024 was above average.
However, no annual temperature records were set in the southern regions.
Niwa climate scientist Gregor Macara said of New Zealand’s 10 warmest years on record, eight had occurred since 2013.
"The ongoing warming trend, observed both locally and globally, is consistent with human-caused climate change.
"This is largely driven by human greenhouse gas emissions.
"And atmospheric carbon dioxide [CO₂] levels continue to rise, surpassing 420ppm at Niwa’s Baring Head monitoring station during 2024."
Mr Macara said in early 2024, a weakening El Nino event in the equatorial Pacific delivered more westerly (summer 2023-24) and southwesterly (autumn) winds than normal over New Zealand.
Then Enso-neutral conditions prevailed from June to December.
"New Zealand had more easterly and northeasterly winds than normal during winter, while spring was characterised by more westerly winds than normal.
Alexandra recorded the lowest rainfall total for 2024, with just 354mm.
However, the weather phenomenon brought above-normal rainfall for western parts of Otago, and inland and western parts of Southland, and near-normal annual rainfall was observed elsewhere.
Mr Macara said it also brought several extreme rainfall events to the southern regions throughout the year, with four local state of emergency declarations — Westland District in January, Dunedin and Clutha district in October, and Westland district again in November.
"The southern South Island was exposed to frequent rain-bearing systems during the year, and the Ministry for Primary Industries announced a medium-scale adverse event classification for Southland and the Clutha district in October due to persistently wet conditions.
"Most notably, Lumsden observed its wettest year since records began in 1982, with 1249mm."
Dunedin (Musselburgh) recorded its second-highest extreme one-day rainfall total in 2024 with 131mm on October 3, while Franz Josef (373mm on November 8), Manapouri (West Arm Jetty) (166mm on September 1), and Tautuku (89mm on October 3) recorded their third-highest.
Settled weather was a feature of July, with a blocking high pressure system in place for several weeks.
The strength of the high pressure peaked on July 10, when Ranfurly registered a mean sea level air pressure (MSLP) of 1046.5 hPa — mainland New Zealand’s highest MSLP measurement on record.
Meanwhile, December 2024 was New Zealand’s fifth-warmest December on record.
Temperatures were above average or well above average throughout the country, and Haast recorded its highest daily maximum air temperature when the mercury hit 27.3°C on December 26.
Ranfurly (31.6°C) and Clyde (33.8°C) recorded their second-highest daily maximum on December 2, and Oamaru (31.6°C) and Nugget Point (27.6°C) recorded their third-highest on December 3.
Rainfall for December 2024 was above normal or well above normal in parts of the West Coast, and central and eastern parts of Southland, and below normal or well below normal rainfall was observed in southern Canterbury and North Otago.
