April 1987:  Southwesterlies predominated, with their highest frequency for April at Invercargill for over 30 years. Strong winds were also much more frequent over the south of the South Island, than is usual for April. Mean sea level pressures were 2 to 3 hPa above normal over the whole country, and were particularly high in the central Tasman Sea.

Rainfall: Rainfall was well above normal in Wanganui, where totals were about 100% above average. It was also wetter than normal in most of Bay of Plenty, Waikato, King Country and other North Island regions south of Hawkes Bay. Over the South Island rainfall was above normal in much of Marlborough and Nelson, in inland high country regions, and in Southland. It was very dry over much of Canterbury and Otago, where most places recorded only 35% to 40% of normal.

525mm rainfall at Otira, 1210mm at Cropp Waterfall; 6mm at Alexandra, 3mm at Palmerston.

Temperatures: Mean temperatures were slightly lower than normal on the west coast of the South Island, but near normal elsewhere.

27.9C maximum at Rangiora on the 21st, -5.6C minimum at Molesworth on the 11th.

Sunshine:   Sunshine was above normal in Bay of Plenty, parts of Taranaki and on the east coast of the South Island north of Dunedin, and slightly above normal in parts of Manawatu and Wellington. It was cloudier than normal in Northland and parts of the West Coast.

[Some totals: Kaitaia 141, Dargaville 103, Whangarei 108, Leigh 155, Tauranga 196, Whakatane 207, Rotorua 183, Mangere 148, Te Kauwhata 150, New Plymouth 186, Masterton 150, Dannevirke 144, Gisborne 157, Napier 163, Paraparaumu 173, Ohakea 163, Palmerston North 143, Wellington 168, Stratford 187, Manaia 156, Takaka 194, Westport 153, Arapito 137, Hokitika 136, Greymouth 113, Nelson 188, Blenheim 188, Mt Cook 122, Methven 163, Christchurch 182, Timaru 174, Palmerston 145, Dunedin Aero 138, Dunedin 118, Te Anau 131, Queenstown 164, Cromwell 169, Alexandra 145, Invercargill 101, Campbell Is 19 {2nd lowest}, Chatham Is 128 {2nd highest}.]

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