April in Taupō began with temperatures more than 4C above the monthly average, but by the end of the first nine days, there was a sudden change in night and early-morning temperatures that gave a hint we were on the way to winter.
This is typical of autumn and on the morning of April 8, the very first frost of the year was recorded with the grass minimum temperature dropping to -1.5C! Daytime temperatures, though, have remained above the April average as can clearly be seen by a glance at the data chart.
The first frost last year, of the same magnitude, was recorded on April 29. The first part of April this year still remained dry and with a rising barometric pressure fine, sunny days have followed with the usual autumn fogs often associated with high pressure at this time of the year.
April is normally the last part of the "possible cyclone season" and it is timely to remind us of that rogue cyclone that was responsible for the sinking of the inter-island ferry Wahine on April 10, 1968.
