Month's rainfall a slight improvement on January

The best those who are in desperate need of rain could say about last month in the Far North was that it was a little wetter than January.

A total of 11.5mm of rain was recorded in Kaitaia by the Northland Age on three days last month, compared with the February average of 92.4mm on nine days. The driest February on record was that of 2006, when 6mm fell.

That took the total for the first two months of the year to 20.3mm on 12 days, compared with 117.6mm on 16 days over the same period last year and the average of 180.7 on 19 days.

The three months of summer produced 168mm on 27 days, compared with the average of 269.3mm on 31 days. The summer extremes in Kaitaia (since 1930) were recorded in 1986 (602.5mm) and 1931 (79mm).

Hilton Kitchen recorded 34mm on seven days at Victoria Valley last month for a two-month total of 51mm on 14 days, compared with 131.5mm on 27 days over the same period last year. Sue Lunjevich recorded 16.2mm on four days at Pamapuria for a two-month total of 23.2mm on nine days, compared with 116mm on 20 days over the same period last year.

Sue said the last two months had been by far the driest start to the year since she began keeping records in 1995.

Alison Panckhurst recorded 12.5mm on four days at Cooper's Beach, for a two-month total of 24.5mm.

Meanwhile the only mention for the Far North in the National Institute of Atmospheric and Water Research was Kaitaia's rainfall, reported by NIWA as 7mm, 5 per cent of normal and the second-lowest February figure recorded (since 1948).

Kaitaia's rainfall also rated a mention in the summary for summer, with 164mm, equating to 59 per cent of normal and the fourth-lowest total for the season since 1985.

Kerikeri recorded its lowest summer daily minimum air temperature (since 1981) 4.8C on December 21.

NIWA's outlook for autumn in Northland predicts near average to above average temperatures, near average rainfall and soil moisture, near to below average river flows.