[September 09, 2011] Rain stayed away in unusual month [Taranaki Daily News (New Zealand)] Tweet (Taranaki Daily News (New Zealand) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) August's extreme weather saw record low temperatures hit Taranaki, but the month was also 50 per cent drier than normal. Last month's cold snap cut power to about 2000 homes in South Taranaki, in some cases for more than 48 hours, as the polar blast made its way up the North Island. On August 16 record lows were felt in New Plymouth with a cool - 2.3 degrees Celsius and Stratford at an even chillier -5.5C. The weather caused headaches for many. Farmers found it necessary to give stock extra feed because of snow-covered pastures. Six hundred dairy farmers were left to dump their milk after Fonterra decided the snow-covered roads were too dangerous for its tankers. Schools were closed, bus services were cancelled and posties could not get through. Snow closed State Highway 3 from Inglewood to Stratford on August 15 and caused minor crashes across Taranaki. There are no snow sensors in Taranaki and the Taranaki Regional Council doesn't keep official records of how much snow fell in each area. But while colder than usual, the region recorded just above its average sunshine hours and most of it received about 50 per cent less rainfall. Taranaki Regional Council hydrology officer Andrew Cotter said while the area had experienced one of the biggest and most widespread snow events in memory, rainfall had been much lower than normal. "North Egmont only got 16 per cent of its normal rainfall," he said. New Plymouth was at 59 per cent and Stratford 62 per cent of normal rainfall at the end of the month, with only Hawera 17 per cent over what it normally has. Mr Cotter said the fall came down to which way the weather headed into the region. "Some of the cold may have kept some of the moisture away, too," he said. However, Taranaki was still looking good for the year with record falls of rain in previous months. "Our year to date is on track - a little bit over what we would normally expect for rainfall so far in the year. Ranging from a fraction under 100 per cent of normal year to date [at Cape Egmont] to 139 per cent, which is our highest, down in Hawera and the eastern hill country of Taranaki," he said, NIWA's spring outlook for Taranaki forecasts above-average temperatures with normal-to-below- normal rain levels for the next three months. (c) 2011 ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]