Earth Sciences New Zealand (ESNZ – formerly Niwa) has forecasted a warm and wet continuation of summer for many regions in the upcoming months. The organization recently published its climate outlook for the next three months, anticipating weak La Niña conditions that will bring a variety of weather patterns.
According to the report, most of the North Island and parts of the South Island’s West Coast are likely to experience average or above-average temperatures. Regions such as Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, central North Island, Taranaki, Whanganui, Manawatu, and Wellington have a 65 percent chance of higher temperatures.
ESNZ’s Manager of Climate Atmosphere and Hazards, Nava Fedaeff, mentioned that the east coast of the South Island is an exception, where average or below-average temperatures are expected due to predicted easterly winds bringing frequent cloud cover and showers.
Despite the warmer weather outlook, Fedaeff warned that the North Island might still experience heavy rainfall, especially with the tropical cyclone season underway. Additionally, inland Otago was highlighted as a prime holiday destination for the summer, offering above-average temperatures and below-average rainfall.
Sea surface temperatures around the country cooled in December but remained above average, indicating warm nights ahead for the rest of the summer. ESNZ also predicted near-normal soil moisture levels and river flows for the west of the North Island, with below-normal or near-normal levels for the rest of the country.
