August 1978:   During August pressures were slightly higher than normal over the North Island and slightly below over the South Island. Winds were predominantly north-westerly over the whole of New Zealand, but stronger in the south than in the north. Most of the North Island experienced dry, warm conditions, but in the South Island most regions were wetter than usual. Cloudy conditions prevailed in most areas west of the main ranges.

Rainfall: Rainfall was below normal in the North Island apart from some areas of Northland. In Bay of Plenty, Poverty Bay, Hawkes Bay and Wairarapa some areas had less than 50% of the normal rainfall. In the South Island the only areas with totals below normal were Nelson, parts of Marlborough, and the Canterbury coast as far south as Banks Peninsula. Many stations in South Canterbury, Otago and a few in Southland recorded more than double their August average. On the 9th and 10th heavy rain fell in Fiordland and Westland. At Milford Sound 332mm was measured in the 24 hours to 9am on the 10th, exceeding the previous August record of 235mm in 1960 (records from 1930). Snow followed by exceptionally heavy rainfall in the South Canterbury and Otago regions on the 25th caused a major landslip which blocked the railway line at Sawyers Bay (Dunedin) and derailed a locomotive of a passenger train. Large areas of the Taieri plains were flooded, and many new born lambs were killed. Oamaru Aerodrome had 58mm of rain in 24 hours, its highest in August since the station began in 1943.

Some monthly totals (mm): Whangarei 202, Milford 772, Arthurs Pass 534, Tekapo 101, Hawea 146, Dunedin Airport 110, Queenstown 124, Tapanui 146; Whakatane 59, Kopua 24, Gisborne 47, Hastings 26.

Temperatures:  Temperatures averaged nearly 0.5C above normal over most of the North Island, and between 0.5C and 1.5C in the South Island. In Otago and Southland they exceeded the normal by more than 1.5C. Parts of Bay of Plenty were slightly colder than usual. Day time maximum temperatures were about 1C above normal in most places.

22.2C maximum at Waiau and Rangiora on the 10th, -9.1C minimum at Molesworth on the 20th.

Sunshine:   In most areas east of the main ranges north of Timaru the total sunshine for the month was between 15 and 30 hours more than normal. Most localities west of the ranges and in Otago and Southland had 20 to 40 hours less sunshine than normal, but Wanganui and  parts of Manawatu and Westland were slightly sunnier than usual.

[Some totals: Kaitaia 141, Dargaville 138, Waitangi 134, Whangarei 121, Auckland 113, Tauranga 140, Whakatane 184, Rotorua 148, Taupo 133, Hamilton 120, Te Kuiti 97, Taumarunui 100, New Plymouth 122, Masterton 160, Dannevirke 147, Gisborne 182, Napier 192, Wairoa 197, Paraparaumu 135, Ohakea 150, Palmerston North 126, Levin 119, Wellington 149, Stratford 103, Wanganui 152, Westport 142, Hokitika 151, Greymouth 136, Riwaka 173, Nelson 181, Blenheim 214, Grassmere 196, Kaikoura 202, Mt Cook 113, Mt John 167, Methven 171, Christchurch 177, Tekapo 157, Timaru 134, Oamaru Aero 119, Omarama 151, Palmerston 119, Dunedin 111, Te Anau 105, Queenstown 101, Alexandra 121, Gore 107, Invercargill 95].

Sources: NZ Met. Misc. pub. 107 (Climatological table, NZ Gazette) and NZ Met. Misc. pub. 109 (Meteorological Observations).