August warmer and drier than normal in many parts of NZ

3.00pm

It was warmer, there was less rain and sunshine hours were up over much of the country in August, the latest monthly climate summary from the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa) shows.

Auckland was the sunniest centre and both it and Wellington were about 0.5degC warmer than normal. Above average temperatures were also recorded in Waikato, Taranaki, central North Island, Nelson and south Westland.

Dunedin and Christchurch were the driest of the four main centres, with Wellington the wettest, although its rainfall was about average for the month.

Rainfall was also below average in Auckland.

However, parts of central and south Otago, where temperatures were 1degC colder than normal and east coast regions such as Hawke's Bay and Kaikoura, which experienced higher than normal rainfall, bucked the trend.

The South Island recorded both the lowest and highest temperatures for the month, the summary shows.

The lowest air temperature, minus 7.5degC, was recorded at Ranfurly in central Otago, while Darfield, Canterbury recorded the highest temperature of 22.1degC.

Ettrick, in central Otago, recorded the country's coldest frost - minus 12.2degC .

Snow twice settled down to 400m in Canterbury and Otago.

- NZPA