KEY POINTS:
If you reckon winter's been wetter than normal you're right. Parts of New Zealand were doused with more than double the average rainfall in July and meteorologists said this month had been more of the same.
It's been gloomier too, with much of the country receiving less sunshine
than normal in July and August.
But in severity, MetService weather ambassador Bob McDavitt compared the last three months to an Olympic also-ran. "In a medal table, this year's winter wouldn't even get on the dais," he said.
According to Niwa's national climate centre, Marlborough, Canterbury and eastern Otago had twice as much rain as usual in July.
Westland, Tasman and most of the North Island had about 150 per cent of normal rainfall.
The only areas to escape the deluge were coastal Gisborne and Southland.
Record single-day rainfall totals were recorded in three places - Paeroa, Upper Hutt and Winchmore in Canterbury.
Rainfall was below normal in Nelson, Marlborough and Otago in June, but around 150 per cent above average in north Canterbury, inland Manawatu, Waikato and east Auckland. The rain meant cloudy skies last month, with sunshine totals less than 90 per cent of normal for much of the country.
About the only bright spot was the above average temperatures. The national average was between 0.5C and 1C higher than normal in June and July, according to McDavitt.
The warmest single temperature was 28C in Culverden, north Canterbury on August 4 and the highest average was 13.2C at Cape Reinga.
The lowest single temperature was -9.5C, in Arthurs Pass on August 19, and the chilliest was Lake Tekapo, with an average temperature of 2.8C.
The cold spell that arrived during the weekend of August 9-10 seemed to be the coldest for most places this winter, said McDavitt.
But that will be cold comfort for those left counting the cost of the big wet. The weather bomb that pummelled the North Island on July 26 caused at least three deaths, led to floods and cut power to thousands of homes.
It also created landslips that forced the evacuation or demolition of homes in Auckland, the Bay of Plenty, Hawke's Bay and Wellington.
Among the victims were Tim Ford, his wife and three children.
One of 13 families evacuated from Auckland's Torbay last month, they moved to rented accommodation as "official evacuees".
Ford estimates it will be at least six months before they find out if their home can be saved.
Also waiting to learn the fate of their home is Bay of Plenty couple 80-year-old Max Rutland and 77-year-old Colleen Nolt.
Their backyard slipped away during the storm, and the couple have been house-sitting since they were evacuated.
Rutland said they were "resigned" to whatever might happen.
Despite the human cost, Radio Network weather analyst Philip Duncan said quirky events made it an unusual rather than severe season.
He said the "extreme" thing about this year was the sudden transition from a quiet summer and autumn to a volatile winter.
He said last winter was worse, with a tornado in west Auckland in March, a "very big cold snap" in May, and floods in Northland.
"But people have short memories."
SPRING IS COMING
Spring might be just around the corner - but so are more storms.
Niwa meteorologist Andrew Tait expected the rain to ease "a wee bit" next month but said winds may pick up.
Temperatures were likely to be around average, with warmer than normal skies for the South Island's West Coast.
But weak westerly winds meant storms would continue to cross the country until October.
Before that, the cooler temperatures and showers affecting much of the country were likely to continue, said Radio Network weather analyst Philip Duncan.
"But our days are now an hour longer, which is at least making it feel more like spring."
He said September was often settled, particularly in the upper North Island.
"It's a bit of a breather moment before the spring storms kick in."
