September 1955: Mild temperatures and fairly settled weather for most of the month provided favourable conditions for the start of spring. Stock condition was very good, except for some lamb losses in the first few days in eastern districts of the North Island.
Rainfall: Rainfall was more than 25% below normal over Taranaki and most of the Wellington province, also over the South Island except for Southland and inland Canterbury. Greatest departures were in Nelson and Marlborough which received less than half their usual rainfall. Totals were above average in Gisborne and Hawkes Bay, mainly by more than 50%. In most districts the number of rain days was less than usual.
Temperatures: Temperatures were above normal over the whole country. The departure exceeded 2F in inland districts of the South Island and also in eastern districts of the North Island, from Hawkes Bay to Bay of Plenty.
Sunshine: Sunshine was appreciably below normal over almost all of the North Island, with greatest departures in the far north and in the Manawatu-Wanganui area. Wanganui’s 123 hours is its lowest reading in 19 years of record. Northern districts of the South Island from Christchurch to Nelson were favoured with somewhat sunnier weather than usual.
[Some totals: Te Hapua 128, Kaitaia 128, Kerikeri 116, Whangarei 102, Auckland 133, Tauranga 167, Taupo 157, Hamilton 137, New Plymouth 142, Masterton 160, Gisborne 165, Napier 183, Paraparaumu 148, Ohakea 125, Palmerston Nth 107, Levin 123, Wellington 165, Wanganui 123, Westport 157, Hokitika 143, Greymouth 130, Haast 138, Nelson 219, Blenheim 218, Grassmere 207, Mt Cook 133, Methven 198, Christchurch 179, Tekapo 201, Timaru 168, Waimate 156, Omarama 194, Dunedin 136, Queenstown 156, Alexandra 167, Invercargill 136, Campbell Is 52].
Sources: NZ Met. Misc. pub. 107 (Climatological table, NZ Gazette) and NZ Met. Misc. pub. 109 (Meteorological Observations) - additional comments by the poster.