Autumn got off to such a good start that many in the southern regions may have confused it with the long-awaited arrival of summer. Earth Sciences New Zealand meteorologist Chester Lampkin said March was a mild and mostly settled month for New Zealand. Certainly, in Otago and Southland, there were alternating periods of warm and cool weather — the warmest of which occurred in the final seven days of the month as warm tropical air flowed over the country. Rainfall in Dunedin was near normal, and of the six main centres in New Zealand, Dunedin was the driest with just 45mm, he said. The nationwide average temperature for the month was 15.8°C, he said.

Source: Otago Daily Times April 10, 2026 17:03 UTC