Lingering El Niño could keep temperatures above average this month, NIWA predicts

July 1, 2019
The stunning scenery of a rocky mountain and trees covered with a white snow. A road to Milford Sound. A filmed while driving.

The National Instatitute of Water and Atmospheric Research's latest climate summary suggests that a lingering El Niño weather pattern could lead to warmer temperatures this winter.

The agency today released its summary for the months of July, August and September today, and said there is about a 60 per cent chance that current El Niño conditions will continue, but that it could gradually weaken during that time.

Sea surface temperatures have been more than 0.7 degrees higher than average during the past four months, NIWA said.

The agency said air temperatures in New Zealand are forecast to be either average or above average for the next few months, but that warmer spells are possible during July and August when air flows from Australia head across the Tasman.

NIWA said rainfall could be below average in the north of the North Island, as well as the north and east of the South Island.

Rainfall will gradually increase throughout winter as high pressure systems become more rare.

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