October the windiest month
October is when New Zealand has most wind. In Auckland, the average windspeed is 12.3 metres per second through the year, but that reaches a peak of 13.4 metres per second in October.
Powerful source of historical data
New Zealand's many weather stations have recorded temperature, rain, gales and other weather phenomena since the mid-1800s. This rich source of data allows us to see changes in weather patterns over time.
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| New Zealand's many weather stations (grey) and, highlighted in red, the four stations examined below |
1988: the year of Cyclone Bola
1988 stands out as a record year across New Zealand in terms of wind. That year, both Wellington and Invercargill had over 30 days of gales! Although the cyclone was in February and March 1988, October 1988 was still much windier than normal.
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| The path of Cyclone Bola |
Record windspeeds recorded in this October in Auckland
The average windspeed at Auckland airport is 13.4 metres per second, but this October to date (up to 18th October) has averaged a whopping 16.7 metres per second. So if you've felt blown about - now you know why!
Blustery October in Christchurch, Wellington and Invercargill
This October has also been more than a little breezy in the rest of the country, but not the windiest on record.
Christchurch's windiest Octobers in 40 years of records:
- 1988 (17.4 m/s windspeed)
- 2007
- 1984
Wellington's windiest Octobers in 40 years of records:
- 1988 (25.5 m/s windspeed)
- 1991
- 1984
Invercargill's windiest Octobers in 40 years of records:
- 1988 (21.6 m/s windspeed)
- 1977
- 2008
