While April was another warm, dry month for large parts of New Zealand, it also brought with it a cyclone and heavy rainfall for parts of the country.
NIWA has released its climate summary for last month and summer's long tail meant a dry month for large parts of the country.
An unusual amount of sunshine factored in to the warmth: it was the sunniest April on record at Taumarunui (200 hours), New Plymouth (238 hours), Queenstown (206 hours), and Blenheim (240 hours), since records began in 1947, 1972, 1930, and 1930 respectively.
The highest temperature was 29.1°C, observed at Kawerau on April 1. The lowest temperature was -3.5°C, observed at Ranfurly on April 17.
Gisborne reported 27 dry days, receiving very little rainfall outside of when Cyclone Fili passed offshore on April 12-13.
The cyclone saw several hundred power cuts reported, along with surface flooding on State Highway 35, causing closures between Hicks Bay and Te Araroa and between Tokomaru Bay and Te Puia.
READ MORE: Cyclone Fili: Flooding closes part of highway in Tairāwhiti
A long-time Ruatoria resident commented: "Pines are snapping like twigs. Some probably 100-200 year old trees."
By late afternoon, Gisborne's wastewater system was struggling to cope with the amount of water draining from residential properties, prompting the council to open an emergency sewer valve at Gladstone Bridge.
In coastal Hawke's Bay, south of Hastings, localised flooding damaged bridges and fences that were repaired after the March deluge. According to a weather station operated by Gisborne District Council at the East Cape Lighthouse, storm total rainfall from April 13-14 reached 200mm.
On April 21, heavy rain in the western South Island led to surface flooding and slips. Milford Rd (SH94) was closed during the morning due to a slip between Cascade Creek Bridge and The Divide shelter. Milford Sound recorded 211.5mm of rain to 9am on April 21, its wettest April day in seven years, or since April 2015.
Whangārei was another wetter exception to the dry rule: the town recorded 260mm of rain during April, qualifying as 253% of normal. Over half the total rainfall fell on April 17-18 when a plume of tropical moisture extended into Northland.
1News Meteorologist Dan Corbett said the mixed bag of weather for April has been down to Mother Nature having a "summer La Niña hang over!"
"La Niña typically pushes the summer time highs further south across the country meaning more warm, humid soupy air for New Zealand.
"It also puts any visiting highs on steroids which brings plenty of fine weather," he explained.
"When we have seen lows and fronts they have been swamped by all the warm air and just get stuck or 'cut off' - this can bring the extreme rain fall we have seen.
"Heading into the end of autumn and early winter the weather is trying to match the page on the calendar but it is slow going.
"A bit like the calendar pages are stuck together but more warm air is likely in the short term."
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