More sunshine, less rain last month
Taranaki garden enthusiasts were rained on but zoo animals lapped up the warm temperatures as the region’s weather turned out to be slightly warmer and a little drier for some last month.
Taranaki Regional Council weather recordings show the worst of the rain was at the beginning of the month, when many were visiting for the annual Taranaki Garden Festival.
Overall, spring rainfall trends continued to track below normal, with many districts receiving less rain than in previous years.
Between September and November, rainfall levels were between 49 per cent and 95 per cent of normal, with an average of
66 per cent, council data analyst Fiona Jansma said.
Motunui, in North Taranaki, recorded just under half the usual rainfall, with 174mm, or 49 per cent, for spring. In contrast Duffy’s Farm, near Ha¯ wera, had
266mm, or 95 per cent of its normal rainfall.
Records show rainfall totals for last month varied from between 61 per cent and 146 per cent of normal, and averaged 87 per cent, Jansma said.
Six sites recorded above normal for the month: Mangati (102 per cent), Pohokura Saddle (101 per cent), Duffy’s Farm (104 per cent), Pa¯tea (109 per cent), Omahine (119m per cent) and Omaru (146 per cent).
At the other end of the scale Brooklands Zoo, in New Plymouth, had just 61 per cent of its normal November rainfall, with 73.6mm.
Rainfall in the region this year is ranging between 87 per cent and 129 per cent of normal, with an average of 107 per cent. Only five sites are below normal to the end of last month: North Egmont (87 per cent), Hillsborough (92 per cent), Mangati (92 per cent), Egmont Village (93 per cent) and Cape Egmont (98 per cent).
Total rainfall for the full year is between 78 per cent and 118 per cent of normal. Within the 27 weather sites monitored by the council, 11 sites received the mean annual rainfall for the year: Dawson Falls (107 per cent), Kahui Hut (101 per cent), Stratford (103 per cent), Toko (105 per cent), Tongapo¯ rutu (100 per cent), Pohokura Saddle (100 per cent), Te Kiri (100 per cent), Manaia (105 per cent), Duffy’s Farm (116 per cent), Patea (109 per cent) and Charlie’s Clearing (118 per cent).
Kahui Hut, on the western side of Egmont National Park, had the most number of rainy days in the region last month, with 18. However, Toko, Brooklands, Hillsborough, Cape Egmont, Patea and Waitotara had the fewest, with 11.
Last month’s temperatures ranged from 26.02 degrees Celsius at Brooklands Zoo, New Plymouth, down to a chilly 1.59C in Inglewood, which beat the township’s previous November low of 2.04C.
The November mean air temperature was 14.5C, 0.2C warmer than the long-term average.