Good-bye to 2023

It is time to say good-bye to 2023 in what was a year of notable historical weather events for upper North Island. We will finish the year with a prefrontal rainband that will unfortunately dampen NYE festivities.

Here were some observation highlights across the upper North Island over the year up to 7am 31 December.

Max Temp: 𝟑𝟏.𝟖°𝐜, Whangarei, 22nd Jan

Min Temp: -𝟎.𝟕°𝐜, Hunua 29 Jul

Daily mean temp: 𝟏𝟔.𝟏°𝐜 recorded from our weather station on the North Shore, Auckland.

Wettest place: 𝟔𝟎𝟕𝟔𝐦𝐦, Pinnacles, Coromandel Ranges

Driest place: 𝟏𝟐𝟎𝟏𝐦𝐦, Gulf Harbour

Lowest barometric air pressure: 𝟗𝟔𝟓.𝟒 𝐡𝐏𝐚 Claris airport, Great Barrier Island 13 Feb (Cyclone Gabrielle)

Max wind gust: Channel Island 𝟖𝟖 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐬 (𝟏𝟔𝟑 𝐤𝐦/𝐡), 13 Feb (Cyclone Gabrielle)

Thunderstorm days: 𝟐𝟐 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬

Cyclones – 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐞 (January), 𝐆𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞 (February), 𝐋𝐨𝐥𝐚 (October)

Tornado / Waterspout: 𝟏- Hauraki Gulf 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐎𝐫𝐞𝐰𝐚, 20th December

Snowfall: 𝐙𝐢𝐥𝐜𝐡

Number of earthquakes: 𝟏𝟒𝟕

Largest felt earthquake: , 𝐌𝟓.𝟏 , 5km south of Te Aroha, 4th January

Tsunami: 𝐙𝐢𝐥𝐜𝐡

Highest tides:

𝟏.𝟖𝟓𝐦 MSL height, Waitemata harbour, 30th Oct

𝟏.𝟒𝟐𝐦 MSL height, Great Barrier Island, 13th Feb

(Sources: Private stations, council rain gauges, GeoNet and Land Information New Zealand)

Pictures say a thousand words. From sunsets to sunrises, sun halos, storms, waterspouts, severe gales, cyclones, downpours, floods, king tides, and earthquakes. 2023 saw some amazing moments captured around the upper North Island. Thanks to everyone who shared their moments.

Sky tower lightning bolt 10 May 2023. A negative charged downward streamer found a positive upward streamer match launching from the Sky Tower's 50cm diameter dynasphere lightning protector on top of the mast.

Aurora Australis. Auckland's west coast, 24 March from a G4 Geomagnetic storm. Credit Tania Foster

A waterspout touched down into the Gulf off Orewa on 20th December with the sunrise making the funnel glisten. Credit Grant Birley.

Satellite image of Cyclone Gabrielle 10:30am 12th February 2023 approaching upper North Island

Approaching Cyclone Hale sunset, January 8th. Credit Chris Mann

Approaching Cyclone Garielle sun halo over Matiatia bay, Waiheke Island, February 11th 2023. Credit Andy Liang

Fogbow, Waitemata harbour 19 June, 2023

Asperitas clouds arriving over the upper North Island, 17 November, 2023

Rangitoto sunrise 29 July, coldest morning of the year

Sea Fog July 2023, credit Lindsay McMorran

An upward lightning bolt was captured from Mahurangi, November 2023 Credit Grant Birley

Thanks for following, catch you in 2024!