March 1969:  Winds from a westerly quarter were unusually frequent in March. In the North Island and the northeast of the South Island it was one of the driest months on record. Fortunately, the greater part of the North Island had received good rain in February, and the effect of the low rainfall was not nearly as serious as that of the protracted dry period there from November 1945 to February 1946.The worst effects on stock were reported in North Canterbury, where February had also been dry.

Rainfall: Rainfall was less than half the average value over the North Island, except in parts of the Taihape-Taupo-Taumarunui-Waitomo area. It was also less than half the average in the South Island east of a line from Karamea to Timaru. The only area with rainfall somewhat above normal consisted of Fiordland with most of Southland and South Westland and the greater part of Otago. The most extensive area with very low rainfall was eastern and northern Northland, with less than a tenth of the average value. Other smaller areas with a similar departure from average were Ruatoria-East Cape and parts of Nelson, Marlborough and North Canterbury. The total rainfall for August 1968-March 1969 at Christchurch was only 7.92” (201mm), the lowest for any 8-month period there in a century  of observation {record is now 190mm for Sept 1997-Apr 1998}.

Temperatures:  Temperatures were 2F-3F above average in Canterbury and most of Marlborough. They were 1F-2F below average in northern districts west of Te Aroha and Taupo.

Sunshine:  Sunshine was more than 40 hours above average in northern Northland; east and south of a line through Thames, Taumarunui and Wanganui in the North Island; and in Marlborough. In Gisborne, Hawkes Bay and Wairarapa it was the sunniest March on record, with departures of 80-130 hours; Wairoa, Gisborne, Napier and Waipukurau all had totals above 290 hours, the highest ever recorded in March in any part of New Zealand. By contrast, sunshine was 30-40 hours below average on the West Coast and on the Southland coast.

[Some totals:  Kaitaia 233, Kerikeri 217, Whangarei 190, Auckland 200, Tauranga 272, Whakatane 273, Taupo 242, Opotiki 264, Hamilton 227, New Plymouth 208, Masterton 274, Gisborne 298, Napier 294, Wairoa 301, Paraparaumu 210, Ohakea 221, Palmerston North 178, Levin 181, Wellington 232, Stratford 224, Ohakune 177, Wanganui 218, Westport 157, Hokitika 128, Greymouth 142, Haast 122, Riwaka 266, Nelson 257, Blenheim 281, Grassmere 246, Kaikoura 213, Mt Cook 144, Mt John 218, Methven 187, Christchurch 184, Tekapo 230, Timaru 145, Waimate 137, Omarama 218, Palmerston 157, Dunedin Aero 150, Dunedin 152, Oamaru 154, Queenstown 181, Alexandra 197, Invercargill 115, Campbell Is 59, Chatham Is 159.]

Sources: NZ Met. Misc. pub. 107 (Climatological table, NZ Gazette) and NZ Met. Misc. pub. 109 (Meteorological Observations) - additional comments by the poster.

Yes, I think that would be right ato2. It was a pretty unusual month in that it was basically anticyclonic but with a persistent westerly flavour. Hence the exceptional totals in the east of the NI and to a slightly lesser extent at Blenheim.

Humidities would have been down on usual values so I surmise that Stratford would not get the kind of mountain cloud effects experienced in damper regimes ...