May was an unusually warm month in Wanganui, according to statistics released this week by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa) - and it would have been even warmer if there hadn't been a cold snap at the end of the month.
Chris Brandolino from Niwa said although Wanganui did not break any May records, every temperature measurement was above average for the month.
"It is likely that many more locations would have observed near-record high temperatures for the month of May had it not been for the cold snap and subsequent frosts which occurred throughout New Zealand during the last week of the month," Mr Brandolino said.
Wanganui's mean daily temperature for May was 13.1C, up from the May average of 12.4C.
The mean maximum temperature and mean minimum temperature were also up on the May averages, Mr Brandolino said.