Australia to thank for NZ's warmest August on record

Jim Salinger
Jim Salinger
Last month was the warmest August on record in New Zealand - and Otago was no exception, with temperatures in Dunedin breaking a 62-year record and Cromwell more than 3degC warmer than average.

New Zealanders could thank strong westerly winds coming off Australia for an average temperature almost 2degC warmer than usual, Auckland climate scientist Jim Salinger said.

The average temperature for New Zealand last month was 10.4degC, which gave the normally wintry month the kind of temperatures usually seen in spring.

The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa) climate summary for August said there was an early start to spring, with record or near record temperatures recorded around the country.

"It was the warmest August since records began 155 years ago."

Dunedin was warm and dry, with a mean temperature of 9degC, 1.4degC more than normal.

The temperature even eclipsed Christchurch's 8.8degC mean.

In Central Otago and the Lakes district, temperatures were more than 2degC above average, with Cromwell recording 14degC, 3degC above normal and the highest since records began in 1949.

Extreme high mean maximum daily temperatures were also recorded in August in Wanaka (12degC, the third-highest since records began in 1955), Dunedin (13.8degC), Nugget Point (11.7degC, the second highest since records began in 1970) and Oamaru (13.8degC, the second-highest since records began in 1908).

Some areas also recorded extreme low mean minimum temperatures, with Wanaka plunging to 3degC (second-lowest), Dunedin 5.3degC (third-lowest) and Nugget Point 5.7degC (lowest).

Dunedin was the driest of the country's six main centres, receiving only 24mm, or 36%, of its normal August rainfall.

Auckland got three times that amount (79mm), Wellington more than five times (138mm) and Christchurch got 56mm.

Balclutha was the only Otago town to record record-threatening sunshine hours, basking under the third-highest sunshine hours since records began in 1964 with 150 hours of sunshine.

rebecca.fox@odt.co.nz

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