New Zealand s annual sunshine hours have increased in the past 40 years.
Grab your sun hats, slap on the sunscreen, Taranaki is in first place in the sunshine race as the country s sunniest province so far in 2021. The west coast region, known for its high rainfall, westerly winds and lush green paddocks full of dairy cows, has recorded 1033 hours of sunshine so far this year. That’s more than any other region. The figures from the latest National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa) climate summary give Taranaki bragging rights, for now, over some of the country’s well known “sunny” regions.