Weather in Taupō during the penultimate week of July produced temperatures close to normal for the midwinter month, with generally high barometric pressures and some rain.
During the middle of the week, a frontal system was responsible for the rain, but the high pressures at the beginning and end broughtabout clearing skies and light frosts. This can clearly be seen on the accompanying data charts for the week when the earlier high-pressure system peaked at 1031 hPa and at the end of the week, the second system reached 1033hPa.
The frontal system is also depicted on the charts as pressures dropped to 1013 hPa before sharply rising again. This time of the year pressures can rise and fall markedly and often feature relatively high readings bringing clear and frosty conditions.
During the week, a peak wind gust of 70km/h was recorded at the Taupō Airport on July 21. This was the highest wind gust recorded this year and the highest since December 18, when the wind peaked at 74km/h. Elsewhere in the country, especially in Wellington, winds in excess of 100km/h were experienced.
This year has also been unusual because of the number of rain-bearing low-pressure systems developing in the tropical waters off Queensland and moving into the New Zealand area, bringing heavy and often torrential rain. One such system is threatening for the week ahead.
