Dry June, but region remains wetter than usual

Taranaki’s rainy reputation took a battering in June as monthly weather records showed less rain fell than usual.

However rainfall levels for the past six months remained higher than normal.

Only seven days of rain were recorded for the month as river flows dropped and temperatures soared to 20 degrees Celsius, Taranaki Regional Council reported.

Council rainfall figures showed the region clocked up one of its driest June months on record with total rainfall less than half the normal average for the month.

In contrast temperatures ranged between 20C at Hillsborough, North Taranaki down to a chilly 0.7C at Inglewood.

The average temperature for the region was 10.7C.

Rainfall per centages ranged between 27 per cent and 61 per cent of normal as the average rainfall per centage for the region only reached 40 per cent.

Rimunui Station in the Waitotara Valley recorded the lowest rainfall with 38.5mm, or 27 per cent of normal rainfall while Brooklands Zoo had the highest rainfall with 111mm, or 61 per cent.

Half of the rainfall recorded fell in one day at many of the sites where levels are measured.

Egmont National Park sites recorded only 30 to 50 per cent of normal rainfall for the month.

Rainfall figures from January to June were between 90 to 155 per cent and regional average 124 per cent of normal for the six months.

North Egmont was the only site where rainfall was below normal with 90 per cent. Patea led the way with the highest rainfall at 735.6mm, or 155 per cent of normal for the past six months.

Lower than average rainfall contributed to lower mean river flows in all rivers except Tawhiti, Duffy’s Farm which recorded 865 litres per second (L/s).

Waitara River, at Bertrand Rd, had a mean flow of just 27120 L/s, or 35 per cent of normal.

Mean river flows at Manganui River, Everett Park were 8909 L/s, or 36 per cent of normal.