Below normal or well below normal rainfall for most of the North Island including northern, eastern and inland parts of the South Island north of Otago during October, has been reported by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research.
Its October climate summary shows rainfall for south-eastern parts of the South Island, Fiordland and southern Westland was above or well above normal.
Soil moisture levels were typically below normal for much of the North Island, as well as for most eastern, inland and northern parts of the South Island.
The notable exceptions were northern Wairarapa and the south-eastern South Island, where soil moisture levels were above normal for the time of year.
October temperatures were 0.6°C above average for most of the South Island and big chunks of the North Island.
The highest temperature was 31.8°, at Kaikoura on 7 October, while the lowest was -3.7° at Pukaki, in the McKenzie Basin, on 26 October.
