Last month was the coldest October in 64 years, with all-time record low temperatures in many areas.

Northern News | Nov 11, 2009

The month had exceptionally late snowfalls and record low October temperatures were recorded on October 4 and 5 in most North Island locations, and on October 9 at many South Island sites.

Rainfall was well above normal rainfall in the east of the North Island, as well as in Wellington, Marlborough and parts of Canterbury. It was very dry on the West Coast of the South Island.

The month was extremely sunny on the West Coast of the South Island.

Record or near-record low October temperatures were experienced in many locations, with temperatures more than 2.0 degrees Celsius below average throughout eastern and alpine areas of the South Island, as well as in the lower half of the North Island.

Temperatures were below average – between 0.5 degrees and 1.2 degrees below average – elsewhere.

Overall for New Zealand, it was the coldest October in the 64 years since 1945, with a national average temperature of 10.6 degrees – 1.4 degrees below the long-term October average.

Such a cold October has occurred only four times in the past 100 years.

Well above normal October rainfall – above 150 percent of normal – was experienced across the east coast of the North Island, as well as Wellington, Marlborough and Canterbury, north of about Ashburton. Rainfall was near-record – and more than 200 percent of normal – in parts of Hawkes Bay, Gisborne and the Tararua district.

Unseasonable snowfalls characterised October 2009. An exceptionally heavy snow on October 4 and 5 in the Hawkes Bay and Central North Island was estimated to be the worst in October since 1967, stranding hundreds of travellers, closing roads, and resulting in heavy lambing losses.

Many locations in the North Island experienced record low October temperatures on October 5. Snowfall was also observed in Taranaki, Waikato and Rotorua on October 6. It was the first time it snowed in about 30 years around Rotorua.