Sunny and dry winter in the South

Niwa says this winter was marked by it being dry and sunny where it would have been least expected - Westland, Fiordland, Southland and Otago - and mild and wet for the rest of the country, in a season that will be better remembered for stranded skiers, slips, evacuations, fog and frozen lakes.

Niwa's national climate summary for winter, released today, said the three-month period of June, July and August was characterised by more easterly winds than usual over southern and central districts, which meant wet conditions in the northeast of both islands, but below normal rainfall in the southwest of the country.

However, it was very wet in Bay of Plenty, Coromandel, Waikato, parts of Gisborne and northern Hawke's Bay, Marlborough, coastal Canterbury and parts of Otago. Te Puke, with 765mm, and Blenheim, with 377mm, observed their highest winter rainfall totals on record.

In contrast, winter rainfalls were between 50 and 75 percent of normal in Fiordland and Southland. Elsewhere, winter rains were near normal.

It was also an extremely sunny winter in the southwest. Well above normal sunshine totals were recorded, or more than 125 percent of normal, in the Grey district, Westland, Fiordland, Southland and Otago. Greymouth, Invercargill and Balclutha experienced their highest-equal winter sunshine totals.

However, Martinborough and Blenheim reported their lowest-equal winter sunshine totals on record

Winter temperatures were above average in parts of the north and east of the North Island, in Nelson, along the West Coast and in Fiordland.

Below average winter temperatures were observed for parts of eastern Otago.

Heavy winter rain caused slips and evacuations and rising waters trapped motorists and washed away roads around the country.

However, probably the most memorable weather event of the winter was on August 12, when high winds stranded about 1000 people on the Mt Hutt ski field, forcing them to spend the night in the field's cafes.

Snow closed a number of alpine roads, closed airports, brought down power lines, but it also saw a large group of motorcyclists rescued after they ignored the road closure signs, and tried to ride over Danseys Pass in Canterbury, where snow was reportedly shoulder high near the summit.

Cold temperatures meant that, for the first time in three years, a national bonspiel was called at the Idaburn Dam in Central Otago. The dam had 12-13cm of strong "black" ice, considered by curlers to be better than snow ice.

For the first time in more than 20 years, a bonspiel was held on the Waikaia natural ice rink in Southland.

Fog closed Auckland and Christchurch airports and on one day the fog stretched as far as Hamilton, Rotorua and Taupo.

The New Zealand national average temperature was 8.7degC, which was 0.5degC above the 1971-2000 winter average.

- The highest temperature was 22.2degC, recorded at Waipara, north of Christchurch, on June 19.

- The lowest temperature was -12.6degC, recorded at Lake Tekapo on August 10.

- The highest one-day rainfall was 255mm recorded at North Egmont on August 13.

- The highest wind gust was 141kmh, recorded at Cape Turnagain on July 27.