Last year has gone down in history as the warmest year on record since 1909.
Annual temperatures were above average throughout the country, making the year 2016 the warmest since records began in 1909, says the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research's annual climate summary.
Last year's nation-wide average temperature was 13.4 degrees Celsius; 0.8 degrees above the 1981–2010 annual average.
Niwa pulls its temperature data from between 400 and 450 stations scattered around the country. Out of these, 75 observed record or near-record highs in 2016.
Temperature
Annual temperatures were above average (0.51°C to 1.20°C above the annual average) throughout the country, with very few locations observing near average temperatures (within 0.5°C of the annual average) or lower. The year 2016 was the warmest on record for New Zealand, based on NIWA's seven-station series which begins in 1909.
Rainfall
Yearly rainfall in 2016 was above normal (120-149 per cent of the annual normal) for parts of Kapiti Coast, Tasman, West Coast and Fiordland. In contrast, rainfall was below normal (50-79 per cent of the annual normal) in parts of the eastern North Island south of Napier, and parts of the eastern South Island north of Christchurch. Rainfall was near normal (within 20 per cent of the annual normal) for the remainder of New Zealand.
Soil moisture
Below normal soil moisture levels prevailed in eastern parts of north Canterbury and eastern parts of the Wairarapa for much of the year. By the end of April, soil moisture levels were below normal for the time of year for eastern and inland parts of the South Island, and extensive parts of the North Island. Abundant November rainfall contributed to soil moisture levels that were above normal for the time of year in Bay of Plenty, Wellington, Tasman, Nelson, Marlborough, Otago and Southland.
Sunshine
Annual sunshine was predominantly near normal (90-109 per cent of the annual normal) throughout New Zealand, although small sections of the country observed above average sunshine (110-125 per cent of the annual normal). Richmond experienced New Zealand's highest annual sunshine total on record. Sunshine was below normal (75-89 per cent of the annual normal) in parts of Bay of Plenty.
3 comments
Just the beginning
Posted on 10-01-2017 10:41 | By Crash test dummies
The climate change is well under way and many still sit naively in denial. Larsen C a massive glacier is now disintegrating. Larsen A and B have already gone. Larsen C is a lot larger than A and B combined. The ice is around 1100' thick and if/when the entire thing falls apart into the oceans then the sea level is expected to rise 3-4" world wide. Yet the world continues on its track of fossil fuels and endless CO2 emissions without as yet thought of the consequences which are obvious and getting worse.
Fairy tales
Posted on 10-01-2017 12:41 | By rastus
I don't know where these fairy tales about our planet and its perceived doom come from but a quick look at the actual facts certainly does not support the loads of balderdash being promulgated. i.e The antarctic ice is larger now that it has been in over fifty years. NZ Scientists have declared that the breaking off of ice to form ice bergs is a normal act of nature and is no way connected to any claim of global warming. And as for warm temperatures tell that to the people of Russia who are suffering the coldest recorded temperatures in over 120 years while at the same time many of the idyllic Greek islands are covered in snow and are suffering lower than minus 20 degrees at this very time, not to mention that the majority of the USA is blanketed with record snow falls.
@rastus
Posted on 10-01-2017 17:16 | By astex
You forgot to mention that most of the so called climate scientists are not meteorologists. And remember the same doom and gloom merchants like Al Gore predicting 20 or so years ago that New York would be 14 feet underwater by 2014.
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