December in New Zealand was warmer than usual with several temperature records broken.
A summary for the month from the National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research said the average temperature nationally was 16.7 degrees - up 1.1 degrees on the previous record set in 2000.
The highest temperature was 34.5 degrees recorded in Gisborne on 19 December, while Motu in the Ureweras had the coldest temperature with -1.7 degrees on 1 December.
Soils were much drier than usual by the end of December in Bay of Plenty, Hawke's Bay, Taranaki, coastal Waikato, Nelson, parts of Canterbury and central Southland.
