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's your favourite tomato recipe?
Kia ora neighbours. We know your tomato plants are still growing, but we're looking ahead to the harvest already! If you've got a family recipe for tomatoes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine to share with our readers. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our February 2025 issue.
Moe mai rā, Nicholas.
We're sad to announce the passing of Nicholas Boyack, our Hutt Valley reporter who has long written for The Dominion Post, The Hutt News and Upper Hutt Leader.
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we're having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️
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