If you’ve had clear skies lately you have probably noticed something – there’s extra daylight both mornings and evenings across New Zealand.

With the shortest day of the year over four weeks behind us, we’re now seeing quite a bit more daylight during the evenings, and the sun is also rising a little earlier.

The upper North Island has just cracked the 10-hour mark of the sun being up each day with 10 hours and 6 minutes in Auckland, while the lower South Island has around 50 minutes less daylight with 9 hours and 13 minutes in Invercargill, for comparison.  This will obviously reverse in summer when Southland has the longest days of any region in the country.

Generally speaking, there are about 10 minutes of extra daylight in the mornings and around 20 to 30 minutes of extra light around dusk.

The times, they are a changing:

(Sunrise & Sunset + extra daylight since the shortest day in June)
From north to south:

• WHANGAREI:       7:25am – 5:34pm (24 mins extra daylight)
• AUCKLAND:          7:24am – 5:31pm (29 mins extra daylight)
• GISBORNE:           7:14am – 5:14pm (32 mins extra daylight)
• NEW PLYMOUTH:  7:31am – 5:29pm (33 mins extra daylight)
• WELLINGTON:      7:34am – 5:21pm (34 mins extra daylight)
• CHRISTCHURCH:  7:48am – 5:23pm (39 mins extra daylight)
• DUNEDIN:            8:03am – 5:25pm (43 mins extra daylight)
• INVERCARGILL:   8:13am – 5:32pm (44 mins extra daylight)

As we head into September the days get longer, faster – gaining about 20 minutes of additional daylight each week through the peak of Spring.

– Image / File, Allen Pidwell

– WeatherWatch.co.nz