August's Weather: Spring welcomed and lots of Rain

Murray from Paraparaumu

August in Kāpiti produced average temperatures, but it was wetter and cloudier than usual, especially in its second half. Nature-wise it was undoubtedly a spring month.

Our daily average maximum temperature was 14.5C, equalling the longtime average, and a degree warmer than August 2023. This was also an increase of a degree on July ― and that along with relatively warmer nights probably resulted in the onset of an early spring. This saw many of the classic spring plants and shrubs, including kowhai, flowering well before the end of the month. Also, with an overall mean temperature of 11.4C, we were the warmest place in central New Zealand.

The equivalent of 13.5 sunny days was again two fewer than average. However, it was an abundance of rain that August will likely be remembered, ending months of below average rainfall. Following two weeks of almost no rain we had a two-week wet spell, with two episodes of over 50mm within a week, and along with frequent squally showers we reached a monthly total of 200mm. (The historic average rainfall for August is around 80mm). However, this amount is not uncommon, with four similar monthly totals of around 200mm in August in 2022, and most recently in April 2023. However, these storms are fairly minor compared to those experienced in northern and eastern North Island regions in recent years.

We can expect September to be a blustery month with around a 1.5 degree increase in temperatures and rainfall of around 70mm.