Rivers run high as July rainfall records tumble on Taranaki Maunga stuff.co.nz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from stuff.co.nz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Taranaki has kept its place as the sunniest region in the country as autumn weather conditions brought a mix of clear skies, cooler than average temperatures and varied amounts of rainfall.
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.
Overall, rainfall in the region for the year to date has been on average 115 per cent of normal, with two sites in the Waitotarā Valley, Kāhui Hut, Inglewood, and Okōki all recording below normal rainfall. The lower rainfall resulted in mixed river flow recordings, with Wāitara, Wāingongoro, Punehu and Whenuakura waterways all below normal for the month. Conversely, Mānganui, Waiwhākaiho, Waionganā, Kāpoāiaia and Tāwhiti waterways all recorded above the monthly normal. Taranaki was cooler than normal in March, with air temperatures averaging 16.27C across the region.
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Toddler Lenny Sibbick, 1, takes a rest on the wet footpath during a heavy rain storm in late March.
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Rafferty Wright, 16 months, has an important job with the dog ball launcher for his mate, Vizsla/Huntaway cross, Bodhi, at Back Beach, New Plymouth
An unusual absence of rainfall on Mt Taranaki during January caused river levels and water temperatures to drop below normal, the Taranaki Regional Council reported. Rainfall was mixed for January, with Ngutuwera in South Taranaki receiving only 61 per cent of its normal rainfall for the month, TRC hydrology data analyst Fiona Jansma said. Rainfall sites on Mt Taranaki were 63-73 per cent of normal for the month, she said. North Egmont had 13 days with less than 5mm of rainfall, while Dawson Falls had 14 days below 5mm.