August's Weather: Spring welcomed and lots of Rain
August in Kāpiti produced average temperatures, but it was wetter and cloudier than usual, especially in its second half. Nature-wise it was undoubtedly a spring month.
Our daily average maximum temperature was 14.5C, equalling the longtime average, and a degree warmer than August 2023. This was also an increase of a degree on July ― and that along with relatively warmer nights probably resulted in the onset of an early spring. This saw many of the classic spring plants and shrubs, including kowhai, flowering well before the end of the month. Also, with an overall mean temperature of 11.4C, we were the warmest place in central New Zealand.
The equivalent of 13.5 sunny days was again two fewer than average. However, it was an abundance of rain that August will likely be remembered, ending months of below average rainfall. Following two weeks of almost no rain we had a two-week wet spell, with two episodes of over 50mm within a week, and along with frequent squally showers we reached a monthly total of 200mm. (The historic average rainfall for August is around 80mm). However, this amount is not uncommon, with four similar monthly totals of around 200mm in August in 2022, and most recently in April 2023. However, these storms are fairly minor compared to those experienced in northern and eastern North Island regions in recent years.
We can expect September to be a blustery month with around a 1.5 degree increase in temperatures and rainfall of around 70mm.
Poll: Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
Just a bit of a fun poll to get you thinking.
If you had to live out your Christmas days, would you prefer it was a summer Christmas or a winter Christmas?
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60.8% Summer
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36.9% Winter
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2.3% Other - I'll share below
Poll: Cast your vote for NZ's Merriest Home 2024
Neighbourly members across the country have been sharing their festive decor to be in to win the title of NZ's Merriest Home. We've narrowed the entries down to six finalists (our toughest feat yet!).
Now it's up to you!
Click on the name of the finalist to see all of their photos before you cast your merry vote!
Nishan Wijesinghe from Te Atatu South - See all photos here
Mark Williams from Tamatea - See all photos here
Linda Clack from Cockle Bay - See all photos here
Luke Murphy from Hornby - See all photos here
Joanne Isles from Hokowhitu - See all photos here
Kirstyn Tait from Wigram - See all photos here
The finalist with the most votes will win the title of NZ's Merriest Home and $200 to go toward more Christmas goodies!
You can also enlarge the images below by clicking on them. Happy voting, neighbours!
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17.3% Nishan Wijesinghe from Te Atatu South
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27.9% Mark Williams from Tamatea
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6.1% Linda Clack from Cockle Bay
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25.9% Luke Murphy from Hornby
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6.9% Joanne Isles from Hokowhitu
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16% Kirstyn Tait from Wigram
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
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