June cold but not very wet

The latest monthly weather report has confirmed what Taranaki residents already knew – June was cold.

In fact, on the last day of the month Inglewood logged its coldest June night since records began, with a chilly minus-two degrees celsius, the Taranaki Regional Council (TRC) weather round-up reported.

TRC weather analyst Fiona Jansma said average temperatures in the region plummeted to a chilly 9.9C, which was 1.12C cooler than the long term June average.

While there were chilly nights there was also the odd warmer day, with the TRC’s Brooklands site reaching 18.7C on one occasion and the Mangatete Rd site in Okato hitting 19.5C.

Despite thunderstorms drenching the region early in the month, rainfall figures ranged from 46 per cent to 105 per cent of normal – with an average for the region of 79 per cent. Five sites – Te Kiri (100 per cent), Manaia (103 per cent), Whareroa (105 per cent), Patea (103 per cent) and Charlie’s Clearing (104 per cent) – recorded at, or above, average rainfall for the month.

Unusually, North Egmont recorded just 46 per cent of normal rainfall with 327mm. The mountain site is the only one to record below normal rainfall for the year to date, with 98 per cent.

Year to date rainfall figures range from 98 per cent to 174 per cent of normal, with an average of

129 per cent.

The wettest site this year is Charlie’s Clearing, in eastern Taranaki, which has recorded

1325.5mm so far, or 80 per cent of the normal rainfall for the entire year – with six months left.

The below normal rainfall caused all river flows to be below normal for June.