In a warm and wet month around the country, Dunedin broke the mould as the coldest and driest city in New Zealand.
Niwa’s monthly climate summary for September showed Dunedin was the coldest and driest of New Zealand’s main centres despite recording above-average temperatures and rainfall for the month.
In September, 66mm of rain fell on the city — 36% higher than normal, while the average temperature was 10.5degC — 1degC higher than normal.
However, Auckland, Tauranga, Hamilton and Wellington recorded higher mean temperatures, while Christchurch also recorded an average of 10.5degC.
More rain fell on all those centres, Hamilton being the wettest with 194mm of rain.
Dunedin also had more sunshine than normal, recording 140 hours — 4% more than normal. Tauranga was the sunniest centre at 172 hours and Christchurch the gloomiest at 121 hours.
Elsewhere in the region, Cromwell recorded its fourth-warmest September since records began, while Oamaru had its third coldest.
Breaking the mould
Dunedin’s dry and cold September.
• Average temperature: 10.5degC — 1degC warmer than normal (coldest main centre in New Zealand).
• Rainfall: 66mm — 136% of normal rainfall (driest main centre in New Zealand).
Sunshine: 140 hours — 104% of normal sunshine hours.
