the state of our environment | January 2013 : Hawke's Bay Regional Council & MPI
the state of our environment | January 2012
It’s either feast or famine. During the last few Januarys we were growing webbed feet and aquaplaning round our own
backyards – we had 320%, 319% and 191% of normal rainfall in 2010, 2011 and 2012 respectively. This year there is less
coming out of the sky than out of our sweat glands as the region gets above average temperatures and only 51% of the
usual January average rainfall. It’s now the fifth month in a row that we’ve had below normal rainfall… and counting, so
it’s no wonder the hills are a parched shade of brown and the low flow bans are coming on. There was the odd glitch in
water quality at a small number of our watering spots during the month but in the main it’s been great conditions to
enjoy the region’s beaches and to liberate the jandals rather than don the gumboots as in Januarys past.
ENDS