January 1972:  January was a rather dry month, especially in the North Island. There was some lack of growth in scattered areas as far south as Canterbury, but farming weather was generally favourable. In Southland it was too unsettled for haymaking and shearing. As hurricane “Carlotta” passed to the east of Auckland on the 23rd, some exceptionally high seas were reported from eastern Northland to Bay of Plenty, causing the worst damage at Whitianga.

Rainfall: Rainfall was more than 25% below normal over the greater part of the North Island and in Marlborough, Nelson, Buller, North Westland, the Alps, and the Canterbury high country. In most districts east of the ranges in the North Island and in Nelson it was more than 50% below normal. It was wetter than normal in Southland and most of Otago, on the Canterbury Plains, and in Manawatu. Over most of Southland rainfall was more than 50% above normal.

Some totals: Invercargill 183mm (highest at the airport [records from 1939-40] at the time, but equalled or exceeded 7 times since); Hastings 21mm, Cape Campbell 14mm.

Temperatures: Temperatures were more than 1C cooler than normal in the greater part of the inland area from Lake Tekapo southward. Elsewhere they were close to normal.

35.0C maximum at Darfield on the 1st.

Sunshine:  Sunshine was mainly close to normal. However, most northern districts of the North Island had 20-50 hours below average. On the other hand, Nelson was favoured with a particularly high monthly total of 306 hours.

[Some totals:  Kaitaia 237, Kerikeri 195, Whangarei 184, Leigh 200, Auckland 191, Tauranga 215, Whakatane 229, Taupo 242, Opotiki 209, Auckland Aero 211, Hamilton 199, New Plymouth 255, Masterton 228, Gisborne 236, Napier 228, Wairoa 241, Paraparaumu 248, Ohakea 231, Kairanga 229, Palmerston North 190, Levin 216, Wellington 221, Stratford 235, Ohakune 201, Wanganui 230, Takaka 282, Westport 195, Hokitika 214, Greymouth 189, Haast 222, Riwaka 296, Nelson 306, Blenheim 258, Grassmere 218, Kaikoura 218, Mt Cook 195, Mt John 283, Methven 203, Christchurch 217, Tekapo 284, Timaru 169, Waimate 167, Omarama 250, Palmerston 198, Dunedin Aero 180, Dunedin 179, Oamaru 167, Queenstown 224, Alexandra 226, Invercargill 173, Raoul Is 171, Campbell Is 156 {record high}, Chatham Is n/a].

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