Sun is still shining on Tauranga

SUMMER SUN: NIWA's 2014 climate summary said Tauranga registered 2414 sunshine hours ahead of Auckland at 2204 hours while Whakatane claimed the top spot nationally with 2711 hours.PHOTO/GEORGE NOVAK

Tauranga claimed the sunniest city title for 2014 out of the nation's six main centres cementing the Bay's renowned lifestyle reputation, local business leaders say.

NIWA's 2014 climate summary said Tauranga registered 2414 sunshine hours ahead of Auckland at 2204 hours while Whakatane claimed the top spot nationally with 2711 hours.

Temperatures also soared and records were broken in Tauranga on April 7 with 28.4C, the highest since records began in 1913 and on August 3 at 15.4C the highest since records began in 1941.

That trend repeated in neighbouring Te Puke - 14C was the highest mean temperature for 2014 while on April 7, 27.4C was the highest since records began in 1973. Those results were replicated on August 3 with 15.5C and on November 26 at 17.8C while a downpour on June 11 that measured 137mm was another record.

NIWA climate forecaster Chris Brandolino said over the course of 12 months "it's a pretty typical year".

"There were some extreme weather events but when you look at the whole picture instead of plucking out individual events it was a near average year."

Over the next three months temperatures would be near normal or above normal while rainfall was likely to be normal or above normal, he said.

Mount Mainstreet manager Peter Melgren said retailers had enjoyed a phenomenal time since Christmas Eve and "tills have been ringing off the shop counters".

"Everyone is happy with the weather. At the Mount it's all about the atmosphere and when you add the sun you get the X-factor."

Sunny days meant people were happier with better attitudes and more likely to open their wallets, he said.

Tauranga Chamber of Commerce chief executive Dave Burnett said the weather played a part in people's spending habits and state of mind.

"When the weather is great people are positive and spend money with retailers. It also plays a part in our lifestyle and why some businesses and people choose to relocate here."

Federated Farmers Bay of Plenty provincial president Rick Powdrell said the rainfall in December "was a godsend" and "everything is cracking along at the moment".

If predictions were correct Bay of Plenty coastal farmers would be looking at a fairly good season, he said.

"The weather is pretty important but on the other side of it, if we get plentiful rainfall then you run into other risks like facial eczema and things like that.

"But we can farm with those and have got the necessary tools to deal with that."

At the moment there was a bit more grass around than last year but the amount of rainfall would be key, he said.