Temperatures: Warm, especially in Bay of Plenty and Gisborne
Rainfall: Wet in Northland, Auckland, Coromandel, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Hawke’s Bay, Golden Bay, Canterbury and parts of Otago, but dry in the south and west of the North Island, as well as Wairarapa
Sunshine: Sunny in the west of the North Island, coastal Otago, and Southland, but extremely cloudy in Riwaka, Blenheim and Mt Cook
May’s climate was much warmer than usual, with temperatures almost the same as April 2004. Rainfall was well above average in parts of Auckland, Coromandel, and Bay of Plenty, and well below average in Wanganui, Manawatu, Kapiti, and Wairarapa. As a result soils are only drier than normal in Central Otago. Mean temperatures were above normal in most districts, especially Bay of Plenty and Gisborne. It was sunny in the west of the North Island, as well as coastal Otago and Southland, but totals were very low in Nelson and Marlborough. The May climate pattern was due to warm northeasterlies prevailing over the country with more frequent depressions (“lows”) in the Tasman Sea and anticyclones (“highs”) well east of New Zealand.
Highlights
- The highest May 2004 temperature was 27.3°C, recorded at Nelson Park, Napier, on the 2nd. This was their highest May temperature in measurements that commenced in 1869, and a new May all-time record for the North Island. A number of other locations also recorded their highest May temperature on record that day.
- The lowest temperature for the month was –5.7°C, recorded at Ranfurly on the 19th.
- High rainfall totalling 50 to 100 mm occurred in Northland, Auckland, and Coromandel on the 1st, with further high rainfall in Coromandel and western Bay of Plenty, on the 14th. Rainfall totalled 88 mm in Takaka on the 12th, with 50 mm in Gisborne on the 23rd. The month ended with 50–65 mm rainfalls in parts of Northland, Rotorua, and Golden Bay on the 28th.
- Snow settled in Methven on the 24th.
- Auckland was the sunniest and Christchurch the driest main centre. Rainfall was above average in Auckland and Dunedin, near average in Christchurch, and below average in Wellington. Temperatures were above average in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch, and average in Dunedin. Sunshine hours were above normal in Auckland and Dunedin, and near normal in the other two main centres.
Rainfall
Rainfall was at about 200 percent (twice) average May totals in parts of Auckland, Coromandel, and Bay of Plenty. Rainfall was also above average throughout much of Northland, Waikato, Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay, Golden Bay, Canterbury, and parts of Otago. In contrast, rainfall was below average in Wanganui, Manawatu, Kapiti, and Wairarapa. May rainfall was near average in Westland, and Southland.
Temperature
The May national average temperature of 11.5°C was 0.8°C above normal. Mean temperatures were above normal throughout the North Island, as well as Buller, Westland, Fiordland, Marlborough, Nelson, and north Canterbury. Temperatures were 1.6 to 1.8°C above normal in Bay of Plenty, Tongariro/Ruapehu, and Gisborne.
Sunshine
Sunshine totals were above normal in the west of the North Island, from Auckland to Horowhenua, and in coastal Otago and Southland, very low in Riwaka, Blenheim and Mt Cook, and near normal in most other districts.
Full report
Full details of May 2004 summary.
For further information, please contact:
Dr Jim Salinger – Principal Scientist, Climate NIWA National Climate Centre – Auckland Phone +64 9 375 2053 [email protected]
Stuart Burgess – Climatologist NIWA National Climate Centre – Wellington Phone +64 4 386 0569 [email protected]
Geoff Baird – Communications Manager Phone +64 4 386 0543 [email protected]
Acknowledgement of NIWA as the source is required.