We have the final month of spring ahead of us then we reach December and summer finally arrives.

Spring 2016, so far anyway, has been a bit wetter and warmer than usual for many places – but not all. Some have had drier than average conditions (like parts of Canterbury) with even light frosts and hail in the second half of October.

Clearly many of us love summer – but with summer approaching on top of a warmer than average 2016 that broke a lot of heat records here in New Zealand it’s fair to say a number of farmers and growers are a little nervous about what this summer might produce. 

If we get more La Nina type weather expect more cloud and downpours in the north – if we remain in a more neutral pattern we may be seeing hotter westerlies.