It began nearly a fortnight of changeable weather with regular rain events easing dry conditions in Central Otago and the Upper Clutha and also providing in the first week about half January's average rainfall in towns like Alexandra, Queenstown and Wanaka.
National Institute of Atmospheric Research (Niwa) principal climate scientist Dr Andrew Tait said a severe storm which passed over New Zealand on December 27 and 28 brought significant rainfall, flooding and gale force winds to many places.
The national climate summary for December released this week showed Dunedin Airport, Alexandra and Balclutha had their highest recorded extreme one-day rainfalls on the 27th - 52mm, 43mm and 49mm respectively.
Dunedin, Balclutha and Nugget Point recorded their second highest falls (58mm, 46mm, 48mm respectively), Wanaka and Cromwell their third highest (51mm, 41mm respectively) and Queenstown its fourth highest at 63mm.
The records showed Alexandra received one-third of its annual rainfall over the Christmas-New Year period.
Strong northwesterly winds on December 21, which saw flights cancelled, power lost, roofs lifted and fires start, was highlighted by Dunedin recording its equal highest extreme wind gust of 104kmh and the equal fourth highest at Lauder, near Alexandra, with 102kmh.
Dunedin recorded its fourth highest average maximum temperature of 19degC, 1.7degC warmer than normal.
The city's overall mean temperature of 15.3degC was 1.4degC warmer than normal but Dunedin was still the coolest of New Zealand's six main centres. Auckland was the warmest (19.9degC), Wellington was the wettest (125mm) and Christchurch the sunniest (167hours).
Dunedin also recorded its lowest and highest daily minimum temperatures in December. On the 9th, it recorded its equal third lowest minimum with 4.4degC, while on the 27th it recorded its second highest minimum with 17.6degC.
Alexandra recorded its third highest daily minimum temperature of 17.4degC and on December 9 Queenstown recorded its lowest December minimum temperature of -0.4degC. On the same day, Balclutha recorded its second lowest December minimum temperature of 0.8degC.
