June 1971: For a considerable part of the country, especially in the North Island, this was the warmest June in over a century of observations. The mildness of early winter was appreciated by farmers, with good growth for the time of year. There was an unusually high frequency of northerly to easterly winds, as in the previous 7 months.
Rainfall: In the South Island rainfall was above normal except on the Kaikoura Coast and in parts of North Canterbury and coastal Southland. Departures were mainly 50%. However, a considerable area extending from the Rangitata River to Dunedin and from the coast to 40 miles inland had more than double the normal value. Parts of Nelson and Marlborough also received more than double. Over the North Island the range of variation was greater. Hawkes Bay and the southern part of Gisborne had from 7% to half of the normal value. Wairoa’s total of 26mm was one of the lowest June values in 40 years of records. On the other hand, in parts of Bay of Plenty rainfall was more than double the normal value. The period from the 3rd to the 7th was the wettest in the month. Flooding occurred in Bay of Plenty following on rainfalls of up to 300mm in the 4 days 3-6 June; and it occurred in parts of Otago after rainfalls of 150mm on the 6th-7th.
Some totals: Tauranga 238mm, Rotorua Aero 232mm, Hokitika 374mm, Riwaka 317mm (highest), Musselburgh 161mm (2nd highest); Napier 24mm.
Temperatures: Temperatures were above normal over the whole country. Departures of 2C-3.5C were recorded over almost all the North Island and in Marlborough, Nelson and Westland and there were indications that for nearly all of this area except the West Coast and parts of Northland it was the warmest June recorded since observations first began in the 1860s. The average departure over the North Island was 2.5C and over the South Island 1.8C, and for the whole country 2.1C. This was the 13th successive month with temperatures above normal in the North Island and the northern half of the South Island, and the 9th successive month in the southern half of the South Island.
[June 2003 set a new record by a margin of 0.2C-0.3C].
24.4C maximum at Ruatoria on the 7th,
-7.3C minimum at Molesworth on the 21st.
Sunshine: Sunshine was mainly below normal by up to 40 hours. An area from Bay of Plenty through Waikato and Waitomo to North Taranaki was worst affected. In Otago and Southland and about Cook Strait sunshine was mainly close to normal, except around Invercargill where it was 20 hours above normal.
[Some totals: Kaitaia 123, Kerikeri 108, Whangarei 103, Leigh 105, Auckland 103, Tauranga 110, Whakatane 110, Taupo 88, Opotiki 107, Auckland Aero 101, Hamilton 71, New Plymouth 87, Masterton 88, Gisborne 124, Napier 121, Wairoa 111, Paraparaumu 98, Ohakea 96, Kairanga 107, Palmerston North 81, Levin 92, Wellington 101, Stratford 93, Ohakune 76, Wanganui 97, Takaka 126, Westport 82, Hokitika 77, Greymouth 69, Haast 95, Riwaka 128, Nelson 128, Blenheim 142, Grassmere 147, Kaikoura 107, Mt Cook 62, Mt John 120, Methven 109, Christchurch 88, Tekapo 81, Timaru 100, Waimate 98, Omarama 103, Palmerston 91, Dunedin Aero 93, Dunedin 92, Oamaru 94, Queenstown 77, Alexandra 76, Invercargill 87, Raoul Is 100, Campbell Is 14, Chatham Is 57]
Sources: NZ Met. Misc. pub. 107 (Climatological table, NZ Gazette) and NZ Met. Misc. pub. 109 (Meteorological Observations).