Canterbury returns to summer, for now
Beaches and barbecues, swimming and gardening – summer weather returned to Christchurch at the weekend following a season-defying spell of heavy rain.
MetService recorded a high of 29 degrees Celsius in the city yesterday. The fine weather brought an end to a four-day wet streak that saw 41.4 millimetres fall on Thursday, more than the historical average for all of January, 39mm.
But while Christchurch experienced a summer resurgence, it was in the deep south where the mercury really soared, with both Gore and Invercargill recording highs of 32.1C.
Invercargill fell 0.1C behind its hottest day yet of 32.2C, recorded in January 1921, while Gore was 0.8C behind its highest temperature of 32.9C, recorded in February 1999.
MetService meteorologist Sarah Haddon said the conditions were caused by a high-pressure system east of the South Island which, combined with a low-pressure system in the Tasman Sea, was drawing warm air down from the tropics.
Warm, fine conditions were expected to continue in Christchurch today with some cloud in the morning and evening. Tomorrow should be fine at first with cloud developing later while Wednesday would see the low in the Tasman deepen, Haddon said. This would result in a few showers. A southerly change on Thursday would bring more rain, while she said Friday was likely to see showers continue at first.
Christchurch has so far had an unusually wet January, which has been good news for gardeners, but beachgoers may have felt shortchanged. It is just halfway through the month and MetService has already recorded 112.2mm of rain at Christchurch Airport station.
Niwa principal forecaster
Chris Brandolino said last week the next three months would bring more above-average temperatures across the country, with average rainfall in the South Island. He warned the unusually warm ocean temperatures would drive the climate over the coming months, fuelling low pressure that could bring storms.