Hawke’s Bay temperatures make for record-breaking start for September

September 2023 was the warmest on record. Photo / Ian Cooper

Hawke’s Bay had a record-breaking start to spring weather in September.

Nationally, the month has been recognised as the warmest September on record.

Niwa, the national climate centre, recorded that Wairoa set a record maximum temperature for the North Island at 29.6C on September 21.

The town also had New Zealand’s third-highest September temperature on record.

The previous North Island record was set in Waikaremoana in 1975.

A strong northwesterly flow over the country on September 20-21 brought particularly high temperatures to the inland and eastern parts of the country.

Record or near-record daily temperatures were measured in Waipawa at 25.3C, and Dannevirke at 23.4C. on September 21.

Record or near-record maximum September temperatures were recorded in Hastings (19.7C), Napier (19.2C) Waipawa (17.9C) and in Dannevirke at 16.1C.

The nationwide temperature reached an average of 11.9C, beating the previous record by 1.3C set in September 1991-2020.

September also brought extreme wind in Hawke’s Bay. Cape Turnagain recorded the highest wind gust at 246 km/h, on September 17.

Rainfall for the southern parts of Hawke’s Bay was below average, yet soil moisture levels across the region remained near normal.

Niwa’s monthly climate summary found temperatures were higher than average and 14 places across the country set new record high temperatures for September.