July 2026 began on a settled note, with high pressure
resulting in widespread clear weather and frosty conditions,
particularly for southern and central parts of the South
Island. A brief warm northerly airflow delivered record and
near-record high daily maximum and minimum temperatures for
southern and inland parts of the South Island. From 5-9
July, a broad area of low pressure prevailed over and east
of Aotearoa New Zealand, delivering consecutive days of
considerable rainfall to eastern parts of the country.
Significant impacts resulted from the rain including
damaging flooding, with a local State of Emergency declared
in Waitaki, Kaikōura, and Wairoa, respectively (see
Highlights and extreme events for further details).
The middle and latter portion of July was often settled
across the country, with a cool southerly airflow prevailing
over the final week of the month.
El Niño conditions
were present in the tropical Pacific atmosphere and ocean,
and by all measures the event strengthened during the month
– including the strongest atmospheric measurements on
record for July. By the end of July, sea surface
temperatures (SSTs) around New Zealand were mostly near or
above average, particularly around much of the South Island
and Tasman Sea with Marine Heatwave (MHW) conditions1
experienced in these areas.
The nationwide average
temperature in July 2026 was 8.9°C. This was 0.8°C above
the 1991-2020 July average, making it New Zealand’s
12th-warmest July since Earth Sciences New Zealand’s seven
station temperature series began in 1909. Temperatures were
above average (0.51-1.20°C above average) or well above
average (>1.20°C above average) for most of the South
Island. It was especially warm for Fiordland, Arthur’s
Pass, and Greymouth where mean temperatures were at least
2°C above the July average, respectively. Temperatures were
near average (±0.50°C of average) for much of the North
Island, although there were below average temperatures
(0.51- 1.20°C below average) in localised inland parts of
Waikato and the Bay of Plenty. It was a particularly cool
month in Taupō where the mean temperature was 1.1°C below
average.
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Rainfall was above normal (120-149% of
normal) or well above normal (>149% of normal) for most
of Southland, Otago, southern, inland and northern parts of
Canterbury, the West Coast, Marlborough, and Nelson. Several
areas observed more than double their normal July rainfall
including eastern Otago, and eastern parts of southern and
northern Canterbury. Rainfall was below normal (50-79% of
normal) or well below normal (<50% of normal) most of the
North Island.
Further Highlights:
• The
highest temperature was 20.4°C, observed at Wairoa on 15
July.
• The lowest temperature was -13.5°C,
observed at Lake Tekapo on 12 July. • The highest 1-day
rainfall was 133 mm, recorded at Hanmer Forest on 6 July.
• The highest wind gust was 141 km/h, observed at Puysegur
Point on 14 July, and Cape Turnagain on 18 July.
•
Of the six main centres in July 2026, Auckland was the
warmest, Christchurch was the coolest and driest, Tauranga
was the sunniest, Wellington was the wettest, and Dunedin
was the least sunny.
• The sunniest four locations
in 2026 so far are Nelson (1608 hours), Whakatāne (1587
hours), New Plymouth (1578 hours) and Richmond (1520
hours).
Temperature: A warm month for
the South Island
Five locations along the western
South Island observed their warmest July on record,
including Greymouth and Milford Sound, where records date
back to 1947 and 1934, respectively. New Zealand’s warmest
location relative to normal was Arapito, where the mean
temperature of 10.6°C was 2.4°C above its July normal. No
locations observed record or near-record low mean
temperatures for the month. Relatively calm and clear
conditions prevailed over the North Island
Rainfall: Wet for much of South Island, dry
for the North Island
About 33% of New Zealand’s
regularly reporting climate stations observed above normal
(120- 149% of normal) or well above normal (>149% of
normal) July rainfall. Notably, these stations were all
located in the South Island. New Zealand’s wettest
location relative to normal was Dunedin Airport, where 445%
of normal July rainfall was recorded. This made it the
location’s wettest July since records began in 1962.
Rainfall was also exceptionally high in Oamaru, with the
town receiving 400% of its normal July rainfall.
In
contrast, about 44% of New Zealand’s regularly reporting
climate stations observed below normal (50-79% of normal) or
well below normal (<50% of normal) July rainfall. All but
one of these stations were in the North Island. It was a
particularly dry month for Tūrangi, where just 55 mm of
rain (36% of its July normal) was recorded. This resulted in
the town’s third-driest July since records began in
1968.
July climate in the six main
centres
Temperatures
were well above average in Dunedin, with above average
temperatures in Wellington. In contrast, it was a relatively
cool month for Hamilton and Auckland, where temperatures
were 0.6°C and 0.5°C below average, respectively. It was a
very wet July for Dunedin where rainfall was 231% of normal.
The three northernmost main centres experienced a relatively
dry July, with rainfall totals approximately half of normal
for the time of year. Of the six main centres in July 2026,
Auckland was the warmest, Christchurch was the coolest and
driest, Tauranga was the sunniest, Wellington was the
wettest, and Dunedin was the least
sunny.