Last month was the third warmest June on record, despite having below average sunshine across most of the country.
The average temperature for the month was 10°C, figures from the National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) show. This was 1.5°C above the 1971-2000 June average.
Only June 2003 and June 1971 have been warmer since NIWA's seven-station temperature series began in 1909.
Several temperature records for the month were broken in the North Island and the northern South Island on 5 June, associated with a very mild, northerly airstream brought down from the sub-tropics.
The highest temperature recorded was 22.4°C at Whitianga on 5 June, which was also a new record there for the month.
The lowest temperature recorded was -6.7°C at Ranfurly on 17 June.
Sunshine levels were 10% to 25% below average across the country due to the frequent north-easterly wind flows.
Rainfall was above normal or well above normal in Northland, Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Waikato and Taranaki as well as in Nelson.
For the reminder of the North Island, rainfall totals were below normal. Across most of the South Island it was a very dry month.
Of the six main centres in June, Auckland was the warmest but also the wettest, Dunedin the sunniest and driest, and Christchurch the coldest.
