Monthly

April 2009: A month of contrasts. Wet in the north and west, dry in the south and east.

March 2009: Extremely dry, very sunny, and cool for much of the country as anticyclones prevail
Rainfall: Record low rainfall in parts of Wairarapa, Marlborough, north Canterbury, north and central Otago.

February 2009: Hot at the beginning of the month then a cool change; wet for most of country except in the southwest; below normal sunshine for most areas
Temperature: Above average over most of the North Island; below average for much of Canterbury, Otago and Southland.
Rainfall: Above normal over the North Island and east of the South Island; below normal for Fiordland and parts of Southland.
Sunshine: Well below normal for eastern Northland and Auckland, Marlborough, Canterbury and Otago; normal or below normal elsewhere.
Temperatures flip-flopped from above average over the first 12 days

January 2009: Very warm in the east; dry and sunny for most of country except in the south; soil moisture levels generally below normal
Temperature: Well above average along the east coast of the South Island from Kaikoura to Mosgiel; above average for western Bay of Plenty, eastern North Island, inland Canterbury and Otago and much of Southland.
Rainfall: Well below normal in Northland, Auckland, central North Island, Hawke’s Bay, Wairarapa, Tasman, Marlborough, north and south Canterbury and central Otago; below normal for much of the rest of the country except Gisborne, Manawatu, nor

December 2008: Sunny for most areas, warm through the middle of the country, dry in the east but wet in some areas exposed to the northeast
Rainfall: Well below normal in East Cape, Gisborne, southern Hawke’s Bay, north Canterbury and eastern Southland; above normal in southern Northland, Nelson, Marlborough, Banks Peninsula and inland Canterbury and Otago.
Temperature: Above average from Bay of Plenty to Wellington, northern Tasman district, and around Westport and Cheviot; below average for the far north of the North Island and in inland Canterbury.
Sunshine: Above average for most of

November 2008: Sunny for most of country, warm and dry in the east
Rainfall: Well below normal in Gisborne, Hawkes Bay, Wairarapa, Marlborough, Canterbury and Otago, and below normal in many other places, except in Northland, Taranaki, Tasman, West Coast and coastal Southland.
Temperature: Near or above average for most of the country (particularly eastern South Island), but below average in the western South Island.
Sunshine: Very sunny in the North Island from Waikato south, and in all of the South Island except the Tasman district and the West Coast.
Rainfall was less than 50% of normal (

October 2008: Sunny in the South Island, dry in east and north
Temperature: Near average for most of the country, but below average in western South Island.
Rainfall: Below normal in Northland, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Hawkes Bay, Wellington and most of the South Island especially south Canterbury and Otago; above normal in Waikato, King Country and Manawatu.
Sunshine: Very sunny in the South Island, especially in inland and southern parts, and near average for other areas.
Sunshine totals were well above average for most of the South Island, with Dunedin and Balclutha recording their highes