Weather Eye with John Maunder

Rainfalls in Tauranga during the month of April 2013 and April 2014 and April 2017 were all relatively wet, with April 2013 recording 284 mm – the seventh highest April rainfall since 1898 – and in April 2014 the total was 225 mm – the 16th highest April rainfall in the city since 1898.

April 2017 had a rainfall of 293 mm, the sixth highest rainfall for April.

The graph shows the range of rainfalls from a high of 383 mm in 1911 to a low of 10 mm in 1958.

The second wettest April was 1948, when 333 mm was recorded; and the second driest was April 2010 with only 12 mm.

The long-term average rainfall for Tauranga for April is 120 mm.

Since 1898, there have been 11 April months with a rainfall of 250 mm or more.

In chronological order, the wettest April months are: 1911, 1923, 1935, 1938, 1948, 1959, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2013, and 2017.

In terms of dry April months, there have been nine months with rainfall of 30 mm or less.

In chronological order, the driest April months are: 1898, 1910, 1913, 1919, 1958, 1979, 1984, 2005, and 2010.

For further information on a range of climate matters see:  https://sites.google.com/site/climatediceandthebutterfly/