JANUARY'S WEATHER TOPS
January’s weather in Kāpiti was warmer, sunnier and drier than average, and we began our second year free of any extreme/severe weather.
Our average daily maximum temperature of 24.2 degrees was over a degree warmer than a 13-year average, but only a couple of points higher than January 2023.
Every day exceeded 20 degrees, with 11 days over 25 degrees. The warmest was Monday 22 with 29.5 degrees in Paraparaumu. For coastal Kāpiti with its sea breezes, reaching 29 degrees is a rare event and over the last 10 years has only occurred three times. As usual, Masterton and Blenheim, at 25.7 degrees had the highest average maximums, with Kāpiti the second-highest in central New Zealand. However, our overall mean temperature of 19.8 degrees was the highest in central New Zealand reflecting our warmer nights.
Breaking the spell of recent cloudy months, January received the equivalent of 20 sunny days, nearly two more than average.
Rainfall of 52mm recorded at the airport was around 80% of average, again reflecting the low precipitation of recent months.
February is traditionally our warmest and sunniest month, but last year this occurred in January, so It will be interesting to see how this February pans out. However, as autumn approaches the days are becoming noticeably shorter.
What word sums up 2024, neighbours?
If 2020 was the year of lockdowns, banana bread, and WFH (work from home)....
In one word, how would you define 2024?
We're excited to see what you come up with!
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️