Niwa today released its annual climate summary for 2017 saying the past year was a "year of extremes". It was an especially wet year in Oamaru which had its second wettest year on record - 813mm of rain - and its wettest winter ever. On July 21 a whopping 161mm of rain fell making it the wettest day in the town since records began in 1950. January was the only month where temperatures fell below average with six months recording above average temperatures. Later in the year parts of western and lower North Island were in a meteorological drought as very dry weather in November led to major decreases in soil moisture.

Source: Otago Daily Times January 07, 2018 22:18 UTC