The highest mean maximum nationwide was the 21.3C in Whangarei, and the highest mean temperature was 17.6C at Leigh (north of Auckland), its highest , by 1.5C, in records which started in 1966, and the highest temperature nationwide was 39.4C in Ashburton on January 26, the town's highest on record.
It wasn't just in summer that it was hot, with Napier, Hastings and Waipawa having their record temperatures for the month of May, headed by the 28.1C in Hastings.
Dannevirke had its highest September temperature, at 23C, and Mahia and Waipawa had the highest November recording at their stations, with 28.1C and 29.5C respectively.
Other Hawke's Bay features of the statistical summary included Dannevirke's maximum wind gust for August (96km/h).
Hawke's Bay's only significant feature among weather events was the late-afternoon April 14 waterspout off Marine Parade, Napier.
Hawke's Bay rainfalls were a mere drop compared with the nationwide highs. The highest nationwide was more than 14,000mm in inland West Coast, but the highest in Hawke's Bay was just 1995 at Ngahere Hut in the Kaweka Forest Park.
Meanwhile, the Hawke's Bay Regional Council's monthly rain report for December, has also been released this week, with principal scientist air Dr Kathleen Kozyniak saying it was "another great month of rainfall."
"Most areas were well above average for the month – except Northern Hawke's Bay and Waikaremoana, which were both below 100 per cent of their December average but were within the normal range."
Rainfall at every recording station south of Tangoio and Te Pohue to the Porangahau area was above average for December, and almost double annual December averages on the Ruataniwha Plains.
The heaviest December rain on the Hertaunga or Ruataniwha plains was at the Tukipo River recording station in Central Hawke's Bay, where falls for the month totalled 177mm, more than double its annual December average of 83mm.
