NZ Beaches deserted in miserable summer
Terrible December weather resulting in the coldest December on record in Wellington NZ has reportedly left beaches deserted and cinemas packed.
Figures issued yesterday by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research show last month was one of the coldest in New Zealand in 60 years, with most New Zealand temperatures 2 degrees celsius below normal.
In Wellington, where residents endured a stormy winter longing for a hot summer, it was the coolest December since records began more than 70 years ago and the average temperature in Kelburn was 12.9 degrees celsius, 2.4C below normal, the lowest since 1928.
Daily maximums were even more telling, with the warmest 20C, with the national average for the month 13.7C – 1.9 below normal and the second coldest December since 1946.
With Wellington lifeguards scanning deserted beaches, cinemas report an upsurge as families turn to indoor entertainment to escape grey, wet days, with Reading Cinemas General Manager Andrew Tremewan noting a “dramatic” rise in audiences in recent weeks.
Restaurant Association Branch President Mike Egan also said the bad weather seemed to have dampened enthusiasm for eating out, adding, “People just weren’t wandering the streets looking for places to eat and drink and sit in the sun, because there wasn’t any.”
While December was colder in all the main centres, Auckland was the warmest and driest, Christchurch the wettest – and Wellington the sunniest.
New Plymouth, Wanganui and Blenheim had their coldest summer start in at least 60 years.
Niwa scientist Jim Salinger said December was unusually cool because of more frequent southerly winds caused by the El Nino climate pattern and below-average sea surface temperatures.
Lower temperatures reflected a mere one-month blip, not that New Zealand was escaping global warming.
Temperatures this month should be back to normal.
Report by The Mole
John Alwyn-Jones
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
CCS Insight: eSIMs ready to take the travel world by storm
Germany new European Entry/Exit System limited to a single airport on October 12, 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season