Midway through October, temperatures have been average or below average for most of the country whilst it’s been drier than normal for about half the country.

NIWA data shows that as of Friday morning, the higher elevations and some coastal sections of the South Island recorded temperatures 1.5 to 2.0 degrees cooler than average so far this month.  That included Greymouth and Dunedin.  The rest of the South Island was below average to 1 degree cooler than normal.  That includes Christchurch.

The North Island was about average.  Waikato and the central high country were cooler than normal.  The Coromandel Peninsula and Gisborne were up to 1 degree above average.

As far as rain goes, it has been a wet month so far for the South Island.  Central Otago and the east coast just north of Christchurch were both slightly below average.  The rest of the country was above average with more than double the average rain falling on mid-section of the Mainland.

The North Island has been fairly dry.  Some parts of the south-western quarter of the North Island has been right around average, including New Plymouth, Taupo and Wanganui.  However, much of the island has been below average.  This includes Auckland who has seen about half the average precipitation so far this month.

Homepage image/  Lindy Payne

By WeatherWatch.co.nz Weather Analyst Howard Joseph