Wānaka’s mean air temperature was the warmest ever recorded for the month of March according to the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research’s (NIWA) monthly climate summary report released this week.

Wānaka’s average air temperature for the month was 16.9 degrees, which is 2.7 degrees above normal, and its mean maximum was 23.6 degrees, which is 3.1 degrees above normal, also the highest ever recorded.

“March temperatures were above average or well above average for most of New Zealand,” NIWA said.

“This is consistent with the circulation patterns expected of La Niña. Sea surface temperatures in Aotearoa New Zealand’s coastal waters remained much higher than average during March, with marine heatwave conditions present.”

NIWA said March’s rainfall was well below normal for the vast majority of the South Island with the MetService recording 12.4mm of rain at Wānaka Airport, just 30 percent of the historical average of 40.7mm.

NIWA said that the 29 locations that observed record or near-record low rainfall were all in the South Island. 

“March was a dry month for the South Island,” NIWA said.

“Lake Tekapo recorded just 1 mm of rain the whole month and Queenstown just 4 mm.”

Wānaka was one of 20 locations to record 29 or more dry days during March, along with Lake Tekapo, Queenstown and Hokitika.

The Wānaka App reported on Wednesday (April 6) that Lake Wānaka was nearing its lowest level ever recorded, being just millimetres above the record set in 1935.

On March 31, the Ministry for Primary Industries classified a medium-scale adverse event for the drought conditions in Southland, Clutha and Queenstown Lakes district, unlocking $100,000 of funds for affected farmers and growers until October 2022.

Nationally March was New Zealand’s equal 8th-warmest on record and 1.3 degrees above the 1981-2010 average.

Related: Wānaka records driest January since 1927

NIWA said the La Niña weather pattern will continue to influence our climate into early winter with above average temperatures expected and a delay in the seasonal transition to cooler temperatures.

PHOTO: Wānaka App