Climate
The region of Northland has a sub-tropical oceanic climate with warm humid summers and mild wet winters. Due to its latitude and low elevation, Northland has the country's highest average annual temperature. However, as with other parts of New Zealand, climate conditions are variable. In summer, temperatures range from 22 °C to 26 °C, occasionally rising above 30°C. In winter, maximum temperatures vary between 14 °C and 20 °C.
Ground frosts are rare due to the region being encircled by the moderating Pacific and Tasman waters; however light frosts do occur infrequently around Dargaville in the lowlands. The hottest months are January and February due to the presence of an El Niño pressure system. In January 2009, excessive sunlight hours and below-average rainfall resulted in the region being declared a drought zone.
Typical annual rainfall for the region is 1500–2000 mm but varies at different altitudes. Northland has an average of 2000 sunshine hours annually. Winds are predominantly from the southwest. Occasionally in summer, the region experiences stormy conditions from former cyclones which generally become much weaker once they leave tropical latitudes.
Read more about this topic: Northland Region
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