January 1963:  January was a dry month, and also very warm in the South Island. For about the last 3 weeks of the month many parts of the North Island received no rain at all. Drying winds were also comparatively frequent, and by the end of the month pastures in many parts of both islands were showing the effects of the dry spell.

Rainfall:  Over the greater part of the country rainfall was less than 3/4 of average. In most of Marlborough Sounds and parts of eastern Northland and Coromandel it was less than a quarter. Rainfall was above average by about 40-70% in most of Hawkes Bay, on the Southland Plains, and in parts of Wellington and southern Wairarapa. In the North Island nearly all the month’s total fell from about the 8th to the 10th, and this heavy rain caused slips and washouts in the King Country, with serious dislocation of rail traffic.

Temperatures: Temperatures were above average by 2F-4F in the South Island and by 1F in the North Island. There was a cool spell from about the 9th-12th, with snow on Egmont and Ruapehu. Southland also had unusually cool temperatures on the 25th, with snow well down on the mountains. [Record high for Christchurch Gardens of 97.2F (36.2C) on the 7th; see also January 1960 and February 1973. Invercargill Aero had 88.9F (31.6C) on the 6th].

Sunshine: From Hamilton and Gisborne to South Canterbury and South Westland sunshine was mainly 20-30 hours above average, except in Taranaki and Buller. In far northern and far southern districts it was 15-40 hours below average.

[Some totals: Te Hapua 230, Kaitaia 206, Kerikeri 212, Whangarei 215, Auckland 244, Tauranga 278, Whakatane 279, Taupo 266, Opotiki 266, Hamilton 248, New Plymouth 248, Masterton 276, Gisborne 279, Napier 275, Wairoa 268, Paraparaumu 263, Ohakea 271, Palmerston Nth 243, Levin 241, Wellington 259, Stratford 266, Ohakune 255, Wanganui 259, Westport 247, Hokitika 240, Greymouth 214, Haast 242, Nelson 295, Blenheim 297, Grassmere 264, Kaikoura 265, Mt Cook 200, Methven 252, Christchurch 244, Tekapo 261, Timaru 202, Waimate 198, Oamaru 189, Omarama 221, Dunedin Aero 178, Dunedin 166, Queenstown 227, Alexandra 224, Invercargill 168, Campbell Is 112, Chatham Is 192].


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