Perhaps unsurprisingly, Queenstown saw double the normal amount of rainfall last month.

Climate scientist Dr Jim Salinger, the 2024 Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year, says across the month, totals of about 120mm fell in the Wakatipu — the ‘normal’ amount is 56mm.

On the upside, for some, August concluded winter on a “mild note”, Salinger says, with temperatures 1˚C-2˚C above the 1991-2020 averages, while mean temperatures were between about 7.3˚C and 7.5˚C, which is also 1˚C-2˚C above average across the district.

Meantime, spring also appears to be off to a rough start — Metservice is forecasting yet more heavy rain across Queenstown tomorrow, with showers, at this stage, forecast through until Monday.

— TRACEY ROXBURGH