New Zealand Climate Summary: January 2015
Issued: 3 February 2015
A warm, sunny and very dry month for most of the country.
Rainfall Rainfall was well below normal (< 50%) or below normal (50-79%) for most parts of the country. The exception was parts of Waikato, Gisborne, coastal
Canterbury, the Southern Lakes and Fiordland where rainfall was near normal (80-119%). It was extraordinarily dry in
parts of Northland, Auckland, Taranaki, Manawatu-Whanganui, Kapiti Coast, Wellington, Marlborough, north Canterbury and
Central Otago where rainfall totals for the month were less than 10% of their respective January normal. Soil Moisture As of 1 February 2015, soil moisture levels were below normal for the time of year for extensive areas of New Zealand,
but especially for northern, western and southern parts of the North Island, and north-western, southern and inland
parts of the South Island. Temperature January temperatures were above average (+0.51°C to +1.20°C) or well above average (> +1.20°C) for most parts of the
country. It was a particularly warm month for parts of Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, West Coast, Canterbury and Central Otago
where temperatures at least 2.0°C above the January average were recorded. Sunshine It was a very sunny month for the country, with most areas recording above normal (110-125%) or well above normal (>
125%) January sunshine.
Full climate summary: Climate_Summary_January_2015.pdf