2022 was Northland’s warmest, and one of its wettest, years on record

Joshua Steele, 10, was trying out his new skim board at Ruakākā Beach on January 1, 2022, the start of Northland’s warmest year on record.

It may come as no surprise to many, but 2022 was Northland’s warmest, and one of its wettest, on record, with record high temperatures across the region as the country experienced its hottest year on record - for the second year in a row.

And the experts say it’s a sign that climate change is real and we can expect more of the same - and in some cases much worse - in the future.

Niwa has released its climate summary for 2022, which was New Zealand’s warmest year on record, surpassing the record set just last year. The nationwide average temperature for 2022 was 13.76C - 1.15C above the 1981-2010 annual average - and surpassing 2021 by 0.20C.

Going to the beach was one of the best ways to escape the heat in 2022, with Waipū Cove, on Labour Day being watched by Waipū Cove Surf Life Saving Club patrol captain Blake Callinan.

The top-four warmest years on record have all occurred since 2016, a trend that is consistent with climate change. It was also the warmest year on record in terms of maximum temperatures (1.08C above average) and minimum temperatures (1.22C above average). The previous record warmest year in all cases was 2021. Last year was also the country’s eighth most unusually wet year on record.

Tristan Meyers, analytical meteorologist/forecaster at Niwa, said it had been a warm and wet year for Northland in 2022, with a number of places recording record or near record high temperatures, while Kerikeri also had its wettest year on record.

‘’Parts of Northland have experienced their warmest year on record, with some of those records going back to the early 20th century, but it was very warm across Northland as a whole,’’ Meyers said.

A car is stranded in floodwaters on State Highway 10 just north of Kaeo Bridge s a storm battered Northland on August 18.

He said while it was quite a wet year for the region, much of the rainfall was in a few months, with Whangārei Airport recording 365mm of rain in November, well ahead of the previous November record of 257.6mm in 2000. It was also more than five times the November average of 71.5mm. July and August were also particularly wet in Northland.

Kaitaia recorded the second highest average temperature in 2022 with 17.2C - the town’s highest annual total since records began there in 1948. Kerikeri recorded an average of 16.6C for the year - its highest since records began there in 1945, while Whangārei had an average of 17.1C - second highest since records began in 1967; Dargaville had an average of 16.6C for its second highest temperature since records began there in 1943 and Kerikeri recorded an average of 16.2mm for its second highest total since 1945.

Kaitaia also recorded its highest ever mean minimum temperature of 13.6C, with Kerikeri also recording its highest every mean minimum temperature at 12.2C.

Floodwaters spill on to a campground just downstream of Haruru Falls during the August 18 flood.

A number of Northland centres recorded their highest ever extreme minimum temperatures, all on February 12 - Kaitaia with 24.2C; Whangārei with 24C; Dargaville with 23.1C and Kerikeri with 23C.

Kerikeri recorded 2617mm of rain in 2022, its highest total on record, while Kaitaia recorded its highest ever August rainfall.

In Whangārei, a new record was set on August 10 when the official temperature hit 23C, the city’s highest winter maximum to date. Kaitaia and Kerikeri notched up their highest mean winter temperatures on record (13.9C and 13.3C, respectively).

Flooding on State Highway 10, north of Kaeo in Northland as a weather system brought heavy rain and strong winds across Northland on July 25.

And, Meyer said, Northlanders can expect more of the same over the next three months as the La Nina weather system continued to drive the country’s weather for the third year in a row.

The warmer and wetter weather over recent years has had many Northlanders wondering if it’s a sign that the region is becoming more subtropical.

‘’I can see why they are saying that [becoming more subtropical] but what’s causing it is La Nina, which brings more warm and moist air to the country. And La Nina has been dominating these past three years so it’s no surprise you are feeling that way up there,’’ Meyer said.

A tidal surge at Tutukaka Marina, caused by the Hunga Tonga–Hunga Ha’apai volcano in Tonga, sank boats and destroyed parts of the marina on January 15 - just one of the extreme climate situations in the region last year.

And with La Nina again dominating there is a likelihood that Northland’s summer temperatures will be above normal, while rainfall will be about normal or above normal.

“So it will bring more of those subtropical low pressure systems over Northland from January to March, bringing more warmer weather and possibly more rain than usual.’’

Meyer said a marine heatwave was compounding the situation for Northland as the ocean absorbed the extra heat, then distributed it back to Earth in rain and moisture.