to determine a good season or bad for us dairy farmers i would have to say a great summer. got the silage and hay in between showers. no drought. flies not to bad this year. paddocks still green not brown. cows still milking well. now looking forward to a beautiful autumn.

I’d have to give Invercargill an 8 for the first 6 weeks of summer and a 6 since then. There’s still plenty of heat in the sun when it comes out so for me, autumn proper doesn’t start until mid to late March.

Assuming a reasonable amount of sun for the last 3-4 days in Wellington, it will still only narrowly avoid being the cloudiest summer (and cloudiest February) on record – and that’s for 105 years of data. Along with higher rainfall due to several very wet days and lower than average temperatures thanks to a coolish Jan-Feb, it’s not a pretty picture. I have a formula which calculates an “index” for a month or season here, based on the monthly local values for temperature, rainfall and sunshine. I expect it to show the lowest score since the mid-1970s (1975-76 and 1976-77 were both very poor).

It is possible that expectations have lowere a bit in recent times, as we haven’t had a normal quota of sunshine in summer here since 2008/09 (though the Marches have been doing well).

Rate this summer 6 out of 10
Temp was nice, odd bit of rain helped things from getting too dry. BUT I so missed the sunshine, is the sun having a recession too!
Had the best Christmas day weather that I can remember in a long time here in Kapiti, as we usually have drizzle and soggy sausage’s for our Xmas Day BBQ.
Autumn is usually my favourite season but, I really only enjoy it when i’ve had enough of the hot summer sun. So feel a bit cheated really.

If everyday was like yesterday it be negative infinity,with the easterlies and northerlies it brings it back in the positive,especially february would be an 8 bar yesterday,about a 3 overall because of January mucked much of it up especially the 1st and last week.

I give it a 7 since the easterlies stopped blowing here in the north we have had two months of pretty dry and sunny weather. Two good lots of rain to top the tanks just when things were getting desperate. Not as cloudy as Auckland either as the cloud from the west seems to break up before it gets to the east coast.

This years summer in Wellington would be 6 /10.
As I walked my Labs this morning and watched a top dressing plane doing its work in the distance I could see mist rolling over the hills, I thought – Autumns here.
I stood there and came up with this –

The autumn mist comes rolling in
Like greying beard on unshaved chin
It’s cooler now at months end
No summer heat to drive ’round bend

Where did our February summer go?
All cloudy days and wind you know
Just not like that most summers past
Veges wilting and browning grass

The shorts were on ocassionally
No sunburn spots upon my knees
Sunblock lotion kept at bay
by cloudy days and mist so grey

What does this autumn hold for us?
Weather not too bad? What’s all the fuss?
Winters next with all its chills
With any luck snow on the hills

But for now as Labs get walked
I look around with lots of thoughts
I see the mist come rolling in
Sun glows orange as I look and grin

Summers gone but not too long
I carry on the suns glow strong
Labs lick my face to wake me up
This autumn mist could be good luck

Enjoy the day all.

Cheers.