Summer in Eastbourne, Wellington. Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King
Last month was the coldest January New Zealand's experienced since 2017.
In the January 2025 climate summary released today, NIWA said there were cooler-than-average temperatures across much of the country, with a nationwide average temperature of 16.4°C. That is 0.8°C below the 1991-2020 January average.
Below-average temperatures were recorded in the central and southern North Island and much of the South Island.
However, western parts of the South Island, including the West Coast and Fiordland, were warmer than average.
Sunshine hours were also exceptionally high in those western areas, with the West Coast taking out the title of January's sunniest location.
Hokitika recorded its sunniest January since 1912 with 328 hours, while Greymouth also had a record-breaking month recording 302 hours of sun.
Other regions to see a lot of sun in January were Taranaki (318 hours), Bay of Plenty (310 hours), and Mackenzie Country (302 hours).
NIWA also said It was a dry month for many regions, with the West Coast, Southland, Otago, Marlborough, Taranaki, Hawke's Bay, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Auckland, and southern Northland all recording below-normal rainfall.
In contrast, eastern Canterbury, Nelson, and northern Northland recorded above-normal rainfall.
Among major centres, Auckland was the warmest, Hamilton the driest, Tauranga the sunniest, Dunedin the coolest, and Christchurch both the wettest and least sunny.
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