Mild Midwinter: July Heat and Rainfall Break Records in the Bay

It was an unusually warm July around the Eastern Bay of Plenty, with Earth Sciences New Zealand releasing new seasonal statistics that highlight the trend.

According to its monthly climate summary, Kawerau recorded a mean maximum air temperature of 16.7 degrees Celsius for the month. This is the highest July average since records began in 1954.

On July 4, Kawerau also recorded its second-highest July daily minimum temperature of 14.5 degrees Celsius. Whakatāne experienced similar conditions, with a daily minimum of 15.4 degrees Celsius, also its second-highest on record for July.

These warm overnight temperatures were linked to a humid northerly airflow that moved over the region on that day.

Nationwide, it was New Zealand’s fourth-warmest July since records began in 1909. The average temperature across the country last month was 9.2 degrees Celsius.

Whakatāne also experienced heavy rainfall late in the month, with 115 millimetres falling on July 29. This was the town’s third-highest one-day rainfall total for July since records began in 1952.

Although we are in the middle of winter, this data shows that the region is experiencing increasingly warm and wet conditions.