Taupō weather report: Second week of February cooler and drier

A clear Friday morning in Taupō. Photo / Merv Richdale

Taupō's weather highlights for the past week. Photo / Supplied

Taupō's weather for the second week of February proved cooler and drier following the passage of former tropical cyclone Dovi that brought relief to the earlier drought conditions with substantial rainfall.

The February rainfall now stands at more than double the average for the month with more than a week remaining. However, the week ahead should bring a few scattered showers and generally little in the way of wind.

In fact, as the decaying cyclone crossed the central and lower North Island and out into the Pacific Ocean, Taupō escaped the winds experienced by other northern centres with the highest gust not even reaching 50km/h.

Temperatures over the past week have been cooler than usual for February, especially for the few days following the passage of the system. While Dovi was responsible for a 24-hour record February deluge in Taupō, the record for any February month is still short of that established in 2001, when the monthly rainfall totalled 193mm over 11 wet days.

February is normally a low-rainfall month, as can be seen from the monthly average displayed on the accompanying data chart.