Dry in the north, but cloudy and wet in Christchurch

Otautahi – New Plymouth and other places have been dry and hot, but Christchurch is having one of its most miserable summers.

According to the Metservice's top eagle-eyed guy Lewis Ferris: As of 2pm February 10, there had been 71.0mm of rain recorded at Christchurch airport. Almost twice the February average monthly amount of 43mm. This is the wettest start to February on record since records began in 1944.

In December it received more than three times as much as its monthly rainfall and it was more overcast than normal, according to the Metservice.

Its sunshine was just 167hrs, compared to the average of 236.7 hours.

January was not great apart from a few stunning days and February has had a wet and mostly cloudy start to the month. The Metservice says February may very well be a wetter than average February.

Meanwhile Auckland, Hamilton, Taumarunui, Taupo, New Plymouth, Whanganui, Westport and Hokitika was much drier than normal. Auckland airport went through the new year period with 37 days, without rain while Canterbury was cloudy and soaked.

It was also unusually dry in Palmerston North, Wellington, Wairarapa, as well as throughout Otago, with monthly totals below quarter of normal.

It was hotter and sunnier than usual across New Zealand last month, with the exception of the eastern coastal strip along both islands.

A maturing La Nina event in the tropical Pacific is close to its peak. A return to neutral El Nino–Southern Oscillation conditions is likely this autumn.

In contrast, an active tropics, with humid northerlies and Tasman Sea lows, should prevail this week and into early next week before highs build back in across most of New Zealand by mid-month.

Extreme rainfall was signalled for the start of February then forecasts show a return to an extended dry run.

New Plymouth set a new all-time monthly sunshine record for the country with 358.6 hours in January.