The above setting obviously isn't Tawa, what with Tawa not exactly being on the coastline. This scene is 25-30 minutes up the road - the beach at Queen Elizabeth Park (just north of Paekakariki) with Kapiti Island in the background. It was Monday of last week (5th February 2007), a pleasant summer's day with the temperature getting up into the mid-20s. In fact, it was my first (and possibly only) swim of this summer.

I compiled a page entitled Summer in Tawa just on two years ago, and stated there that "You never quite know what you're going to get" with summer in this neck of the woods. What we do know is that it'll be inconsistent. One doesn't choose to live in the Wellington region because of its climate - well, at least most people don't!

My family spent three weeks in the southwestern USA this past winter - their summer. Day after day we experienced blue skies, sunshine, and temperatures ranging from 28-48 degrees (mostly around the low to mid-30s mark). That felt like summer! We in Wellington have had a small number of "really nice" summery days recently, and quite a few other days that one might describe as warmish but not exactly tropical (around 20 degrees). But that's how it is. We holiday elsewhere - Queensland, Fiji, California, etc - if it's hot, summery weather we're seeking!

The current summer started off a little on the cool side, as detailed in the report shown here. We were in Tauranga for a week over Christmas and, whilst it was reasonably 'warm' there, it wasn't exactly beach weather. Although we were staying right alongside the water, we didn't get to go for a swim. Six months earlier (northern summer), we were in the pool almost every day! So we got back to Tawa on New Year's Eve to find that summer (such as it was) had gone into temporary hibernation and we needed the electric blankets on for three successive nights. Admittedly that was probably the first time ever in January but early summer had, after all, been one of the coldest in decades. Only three days in December (11th, 18th & 19th) really seemed like summer at all - sunny and relatively warm, with the thermometer reaching around 20 degrees.

It wasn't until 11th January that I noticed the cicadas chirping in earnest. I had been keeping my ears open (so to speak), as that to me is an indication that summer has really arrived. The weather since then has been pretty reasonable on the whole, but we can never be sure that any given day will be good enough for a barbecue or the beach. I'm involved with leading an intermediate-age church-based youth group. We start off our programme each February (our 'hottest' month) with an early evening excursion to the beach, or at least that's the intention. Only once in the past five years has the weather been good enough for us to actually make it to the beach. It's very much a lottery really. The day before or after may well have been totally acceptable for the beach! As it happens, this year's beach excursion is scheduled for tomorrow. And even though we haven't experienced a great deal of rain lately, that's what the weather forecasters are predicting for us! We'll probably be heading to the (indoor) pool instead - yet again.

We did get to experience several days of real summer weather last week. It was great - blue skies, sunshine, and temperatures around 25-28 degrees. I was working outdoors at home and it was starting to feel almost too hot - probably because we're just not used to it! One of the warmest days was the Wednesday when school started again (7th February). My car thermometer recorded 27 and 28 degrees in the afternoon. [Click on the graphic at right]. And once or twice we got to sleep with no blankets, just a sheet - that's another indicator of real summery weather! However this week has been back to the low-20s with a coolish wind at times. Not unpleasant, but hardly stunning summery weather. As for tomorrow, and our planned excursion to the beach ... who knows how it'll pan out?


Page compiled by Malcolm Sparrow - February 15, 2007


Footnote (March 7, 2007 - 20 days further on):

Our planned excursion to the beach? It didn't happen because, on the day in question, it rained in the morning and a cold southerly wind was still blowing late afternoon. However two weeks later when we had another outdoor event planned, it turned out to be a very pleasant evening, one which we spent at a local park with around 50 kids splashing each other with water and getting thoroughly wet!

I would have to say that once summer eventually got under way (around 11th January), it turned out to be a pretty good one on the whole. Of course that has to be qualified by adding "... by Wellington standards." We've had a good amount of sunshine and very little rain. In fact the hills on the other side from where I live (i.e. the eastern hills of Tawa) are looking rather brown and dry. Maximum temperatures have been mostly in the 20-24 degree range, warm but certainly not 'excessive'. There have been very few days hot enough to make the beach irresistible, but that's how it is in these parts.

It's now officially early autumn, the cicadas continue to chirp and I'm still wearing shorts most of the time. Hopefully there are a few more weeks of 'summery' weather left to us yet!