January weather hot, cold, wet, dry

Most of New Zealand experienced a much-colder January than usual but one part of the country lapped up the sun.

Niwa’s monthly climate summary put the average monthly temperatures for most of the South Island and west North Island, below average, or well-below average.

Eastern areas of the North Island experienced average temperatures, while some parts of Hawke’s Bay pushed to well above average. On January 12, Hastings experienced a high of 33.6 degrees Celsius.

But Mt Cook Airport dropped to -1.7C on January 5 and the nationwide average temperature for the month was 16.4C.

Niwa principal scientist Chris Brandolino said frequent southwesterly winds brought cold air masses to southern and western parts of the country. The highest wind gust was 170kmh, at Cape Turnagain on January 16.

Nugget Point, Otago, and South West Cape on Stewart Island recorded their coolest January on record, and many other locations, mainly in the South Island, experienced near-record low mean temperatures for January.

At the other end of the spectrum, Whitianga, Hastings, Wairoa and Kaikoura experienced their warmest January on record.

It was also a month of extremes in the rainfall department. The highest one-day rainfall was 309mm at Milford Sound on January 31.

Gisborne, Wairoa and Mahia experienced a record dry January, experiencing 3 per cent, 4 per cent and 23 per cent of their normal January rainfall.

Meanwhile in the south, Arapito (north of Westport) recorded its wettest January on record, with a total of 379 millimetres falling – more than double the normal.

The bomb low earlier in the month lifted the average rainfall for many parts of the South Island and southern North Island.

Other locations in Canterbury and Otago experienced nearrecord high rain for January.

– Fairfax NZ