Temperature and rainfall records have fallen in parts of Otago and Southland, despite Niwa recording New Zealand’s fifth-warmest summer on record.
Niwa forecaster Nava Fedaeff said summer 2021-22 temperatures were well above average for the majority of the North Island and the West Coast, and above-average temperatures were also recorded in Nelson, Tasman, Southland, parts of Otago and Marlborough.
Balclutha recorded its second-highest daily maximum air temperature when the mercury hit 33.2degC on February 2, and Franz Josef recorded its third-highest with 29.0degC on February 8.
Franz Josef also reported its highest mean air temperature since records began in 1953 with an average temperature of 16.7degC.
Reaching their third-highest average temperatures were Milford Sound (16.2degC), Stewart Island (14.4degC) and South West Cape (13.8degC).
At the other end of the scale, New Zealand’s coldest temperature of the summer was 0.0degC, observed at Manapouri on February 27.
It was also very dry across the southern regions where summer rainfall totals were the lowest on record.
Invercargill received just 129mm of rain over the summer — the lowest since records began in 1900.
Tiwai Point and Stewart Island also recorded their lowest rainfalls with just 117mm and 140mm, respectively.
Conversely, well above-normal rainfall occurred in Taranaki, Manawatu-Whanganui, parts of Hawke’s Bay, Greater Wellington, Tasman, Nelson, Marlborough, the Grey and Buller districts and large parts of Canterbury.
Above-normal rainfall was also recorded in the Gisborne region and parts of Otago.
At the end of February, soil moisture levels for that time of year were above average in coastal Gisborne, parts of Hawke’s Bay, the lower North Island, most of the upper South Island, and much of Canterbury.
However, soil moisture levels were below average in most of Northland, Auckland, northern Waikato, Southland, and Stewart Island.
Elsewhere, soil moisture levels were near average.
Miss Fedaeff said the season was characterised by lower than normal mean sea level pressure to the north of the country, and above normal pressure over and to the south.
"This pressure set-up was associated with more easterly quarter winds than usual for New Zealand and was influenced by the presence of La Nina throughout the season.
"Warm and humid winds from the subtropics resulted in widespread above-average temperatures for all three summer months.
"Overall, the nationwide average temperature for summer 2021-22 was 17.8degC. This was 1.1degC above the 1981-2010 summer average, making it the fifth-warmest summer on record."
She said it meant three of the five warmest summers on record had now occurred since the summer of 2017-18.
Niwa wrap
Weather highlights of summer 2021-2022:
- Highest temperature: 34.7degC, observed at Lake Karapiro on January 4.
- Lowest temperature: 0.0degC, observed at Manapouri on February 27.
- Highest one-day rainfall: 277mm, recorded at Franz Josef on February 2.
- Highest wind gust: 185kmh, observed at both South West Cape and Puysegur Point on December 20.
- Of the main centres, Auckland was the warmest, Dunedin was the coolest and driest, Tauranga was the sunniest, Wellington was the wettest and Christchurch was the least sunny.
