Wellington had the least amount of sunshine among New Zealand’s major cities in November, while Tauranga claimed the title of warmest and sunniest city.
The month saw calm and settled weather due to higher-than-usual sea level pressure, according to Niwa’s monthly climate report. Rainfall was below normal across the country, with some areas like Central Otago, northern Canterbury, and Wairarapa receiving less than 20% of their usual rain.
Christchurch recorded the highest temperature for the month at 32.1°C in Bromley, while Lake Tekapo had the coldest at -5°C. Franz Josef saw the heaviest single-day rainfall at 373 mm on November 8, and Cape Turnagain experienced the strongest winds with gusts reaching 181 km/h on November 28.
Among the six main centres, Dunedin was the coolest, Auckland the wettest, Christchurch the driest, and Wellington the least sunny. Marlborough recorded the most sunshine, with an impressive 2489 hours for the month. Whakatāne hit a record high November temperature of 22.5°C, adding to the month’s extremes.
