By Alex Bourn
La Nina has caused a mixed bag across the country this season, and as last long weekend of the summer has fallen victim to the 'long grey cloud', it looks to be just as unpredictable heading into autumn.
For many New Zealanders calling 2012 so far ‘summer' has been an overstatement and the bad weather has forced many Kiwis to forgo their typical summer activities.
And the sunny skies many were hoping for this three-day weekend have been shrouded with cloud thanks to La Nina and what the MetService calls a “dirty high”.
“Instead of a lovely big ridge of high pressure and blue sky, we’ve got a lot of leftover cloud and that’s the case as we start this weekend,” say the MetService.
A state of emergency was declared in Nelson in December as heavy rain flooded the region causing many holidaymakers to abandon their campsites and wild weather in Whakatane also forced many residents to evacuate due to severe flooding.
The erratic summer was kinder to the South Island, but in January, Queenstown experienced sub-zero temperatures with snowfall on the mountains.
The bad summer has not upset everyone though, Malcolm Lumsden is a meat and dairy farmer who is grateful for the rain.
“It’s been excellent, producing a lot of cows in calf that wouldn’t normally because they’ve been so well fed,” says Mr Lumsden.
He says that while farmers have welcomed the wet weather, he is sympathetic towards holiday-goers.
“I do feel sorry for them because their holidays come at a specific time of year and we take no joy out of wet weather at holiday time,” says Mr Lumsden.
MetService will not make any promises about next month just yet, but there is some good news with today's cloud being set to clear with drier weather forecast later this weekend.
3 News