The Bay of Plenty experienced a mild September according to new data, with above average temperatures recorded.

According to the latest National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research's climate summary update, September was characterised by lower pressures than normal over the north-east of the country and higher pressures well to the west of New Zealand.

The Bay of Plenty experienced above normal temperatures and above normal rainfall in September.

'This pressure pattern brought about more south-easterly flows across northern New Zealand,” says a statement from the weather organisation.

Temperature-wise the Bay experienced above normal temperatures while generally near normal temperatures were experienced elsewhere.

The nationwide average temperature in September 2014 was 10.9 degrees –which is 0.50 degrees above the 1971-2000 September average from NIWA's seven station temperature series, which began in 1909.

'Rainfall was above normal [120-149 per cent] in several North Island regions including parts of Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Manawatu- Whanganui and Taranaki,” says NIWA.

'Rainfall was generally in the near normal range for the remainder of the North Island as well as the Tasman and Nelson regions of the South Island.”

In October, November and December, NIWA predicts sea surface temperatures around New Zealand for the coming three months are expected to be near average. They add: 'October-December temperatures are likely to be average or above average for the east of the North Island, but are likely to be average or below average for the southwest and east of the South Island”.

'Temperatures are likely to be near average for remaining regions of New Zealand.

'Rainfall is likely to be in the near normal range for the north and west of the North Island, and likely to be normal or below normal in the east of the North Island. Normal or above normal rainfall is likely in all South Island regions.”

Soil moisture levels are most likely to be in their near normal ranges for all regions, as are the country's river flows.