November rain spoils sun battle

Blenheim’s battle to be the sunniest town in New Zealand has turned tepid, after a duller November than the country’s most southerly city.

Invercargill threw off its thermals to record 234.5 hours of sunshine in November – 15.1 hours more than Blenheim.

The November blip, which saw Blenheim ranked a paltry 14th for the month, means the town is unlikely to beat nearest rival Richmond for the 2018 sunshine crown.

But Marlborough mayor John Leggett said he was not ready to throw in the towel yet, although he was happy to see Invercargill get its time in the sun.

‘‘The race is not over until it’s over,’’ Leggett said.

The sunniest place in the country for November was New Plymouth with 254.4 hours of sunshine, followed by Appleby on 245.2 hours, while Richmond recorded 244.9 hours compared to Blenheim’s 219.4 hours.

Blenheim and Richmond were almost neck and neck until the November statistics were