October 1960: Warmer weather than usual with adequate rainfall provided very favourable conditions for stock and crops in most districts. A spell of comparatively dry weather from the 15th-27th was rather unwelcome in some areas.

Rainfall: Rainfall was somewhat below normal over the greater part of the country. Greatest departures were recorded in Taranaki, southern Hawkes Bay and Southland, which all received only half the average value. In Canterbury, North Westland, Nelson and the Auckland province rainfall was mainly close to normal. The only areas which received appreciably more than average, by about 50%, were parts of Coromandel and eastern Northland. Some flooding was reported in parts of Northland, Coromandel and Bay of Plenty following heavy rain on the 4th-5th. Waitekauri, near Waihi, had 8” during these 2 days. Unusually heavy hail affected parts of Taranaki during the passage of cold fronts on the 14th and 30th, with parts of Auckland and Bay of Plenty also affected on the 14th.

Temperatures: It was warmer than usual, except in Northland. The departures exceeded 2F over the greater part of the South Island and also in middle areas of the North Island enclosed by a line through New Plymouth, Taupo, Whakatane, Wairoa, Taihape and Wanganui. Frosts were noticeably fewer than usual at this time of the year.

Sunshine: The North Island was favoured with more sunshine than average, mainly by about 20-30 hours. The highest total was 243 hours, at Te Paki, Te Hapua in the far north, its highest for October in 30 years of observations. The other main area with more than 30 hours surplus included western and inland areas bounded by New Plymouth, Taupo and Auckland. In the South Island sunshine was mainly close to normal.

[Some totals: Te Hapua 243, Kaitaia 239, Kerikeri 210, Whangarei 201, Auckland 230, Tauranga 224, Whakatane 218, Taupo 238, Hamilton 219, New Plymouth 212, Masterton 214, Gisborne 236, Napier 227, Wairoa 236, Paraparaumu 200, Ohakea 204, Palmerston Nth 168, Levin 178, Wellington 208, Wanganui 211, Westport 163, Hokitika 180, Greymouth 157, Haast 166, Nelson 226, Blenheim 220, Grassmere 220, Kaikoura 190, Mt Cook 161, Methven 179, Christchurch 161, Tekapo 210, Timaru 172, Waimate 153, Omarama 196, Dunedin 160, Queenstown 189, Alexandra 203, Invercargill 163, Campbell Is 78, Chatham Is 133].



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