and year to date totals for rain gauge sites in Taranaki.
March Year to Date
Rain gauge # days
with rain
Total
rain
(mm)
% of typical
month
Total to
date (mm)
% of typical
year to date
% of typical
full year
Records
Began
North Egmont at
Visitors Centre 15 374.5 89.7 840.0 69.7 12.1 1991
Dawson Falls 19 351.0 95.7 701.0 67.5 11.8 1933
Kapoaiaia at Kahui
Hut 22 288.0 91.0 693.0 78.6 13.2 2006
Mangorei Upper at
Forest Hill 19 165.5 64.4
The dryer than normal year continued last month with an average of 41% less rain than usual in Taranaki. The average rainfall total for the month was 104.5mm and there was 62% less rain at Kotare at OSullivans, and 12% less at Kaupokonui at Glenn Rd. Year-to-date rainfall is lowest at Waitotara at Hawken Rd with 43% less rainfall than usual and on average there has been 19% less than normal across all rain gauges. Mean river flows for May were 40.8% lower than typical values, low flows were
Rainfall February and year to date totals for rain gauge sites in Taranaki.
February Year to Date
Rain gauge # days
with rain
Total
rain
(mm)
% of typical
month
Total to
date (mm)
% of typical
year to date
% of typical
full year
Records
Began
North Egmont at
Visitors Centre 13 221.0 56.8 465.5 59.1 6.7 1991
Dawson Falls 10 167.5 49.9 350.0 52.1 5.9 1933
Kapoaiaia at Kahui
Hut 15 159.0 60.4 405.0 71.7 7.7 2006
Mangorei Upper at
Forest Hill 11
As the soil temperature drops and the rain falls, we eagerly embark on our year-long, much-anticipated winter projects. Winter is a season of opportunities at Hollard Garden. It’s the perfect time to relocate shrubs and trees to better locations, divide Hostas, Heliniums, Rudbeckias and other herbaceous perennials and finally allow potted plants to spread their roots into the subsoil. As the soil temperature drops and the rain falls, we eagerly embark on our year-long, much-anticipated winter
Rain or shine get your tamariki outdoors these school holidays. Grab your gumboots and explore the magic of Tūpare with Nature Bingo. Please wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Rain or shine get your tamariki outdoors these school holidays. Grab your gumboots and explore the magic of Pukeiti with Nature Bingo. Please wear appropriate clothing and footwear
public do? While NPDC works on bringing the dam up to regulation, it is recommended that residents in affected properties prepare a flood response plan for their family or staff members if a flood alert is raised, so that they know what to do in an emergency. Helpful information is available online here: getready.govt.nz/prepared(external link). All members of the public should also not approach the dam during periods of heavy rain and be careful downstream of the dam.
There was a north-south divide in Taranaki rainfall last month with Manganui at Everett Park having 74% more rain than usual compared with the 60% less rain at Kaupokonui at Glenn Rd. The average rainfall for the region was 166.1mm, 11% more than usual, and year to date rainfall ranges from 41% less rainfall at Waitotara at Hawken Rd, and 16% more rainfall at Kotare at OSullivans, with an average of 11% less than normal. Mean river flows were 36% greater than typical values, low flows were 2.4%
river beds. As of last week, five of the seven monitored river sites and one lake were unsuitable for swimming (for humans or dogs) due to cyanobacteria (toxic algae). We will continue to monitor these sites until they return to normal, posting the results on LAWA each week. We’ll do a full analysis of the summer’s results, but most of the samples that exceeded guideline levels were taken after heavy or prolonged rain. We know heavy rain washes contaminants off the land into rivers and out to sea.
We had a mostly dry February in Taranaki with average rainfall of 63.5mm – 44% less than usual for the month. Brooklands Zoo at New Plymouth had 78% less rain than normal while Omaru at Charlies (in the Southern Hill Country) had 8% less rain than an average February. The dry trend which started in January continued with year to date rainfall an average 22% less than normal, including 48% less at Pātea at Stratford. Mean river flows for February were 45% of typical values, low flows were 29%