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New Zealand's capital isn't known for it's bright weather. Wellington's unofficial motto - you can't beat it on a good day - is an ironic nod to the howling wind and cloud cover that usually prevails. But even for windy Welly, November has been a stinker. Wellington has received less than four hours sunshine a day this month and is on track to be the dullest November on record. "We had 12 hours on the first and everything went downhill," MetService meteorologist Lewis Ferris told AAP. "We've had 66.7 hours in total and that's a long way from the average of 210 hours. "The smallest number of sunshine on record is 133 hours, back in 1954, so there's definitely a possibility this will come in as the dimmest November." An extended forecast with the next 10 days all featuring cloud cover suggests the record will soon go. Wellington's November has also already exceeded the monthly average rainfall, 60mm from being the wettest November on record. Spring is the most unsettled season in New Zealand. Christchurch experienced a heatwave this month, notching more than five straight days more than five degrees above average. But just weeks ago, the sea-level cities of Dunedin and Invercargill were blanketed in snow. Further north, gale force winds shut Auckland's Harbour Bridge to motorists a number of times during Spring, while Napier was besieged by flash flooding in a "one-in-150 year" deluge last week. "We have a large number of fast-moving fronts pass over the country in Spring and that's what's happened in Wellington this month particularly," Mr Ferris said. Australian Associated Press
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November 19 2020 - 9:19AM
Dull Wellington set for darkest November
Ben McKay
Oh for a little more Wellington sunshine.
New Zealand's capital isn't known for it's bright weather.
Wellington's unofficial motto - you can't beat it on a good day - is an ironic nod to the howling wind and cloud cover that usually prevails.
But even for windy Welly, November has been a stinker.
Wellington has received less than four hours sunshine a day this month and is on track to be the dullest November on record.
"We had 12 hours on the first and everything went downhill," MetService meteorologist Lewis Ferris told AAP.
"We've had 66.7 hours in total and that's a long way from the average of 210 hours.
"The smallest number of sunshine on record is 133 hours, back in 1954, so there's definitely a possibility this will come in as the dimmest November."
An extended forecast with the next 10 days all featuring cloud cover suggests the record will soon go.
Wellington's November has also already exceeded the monthly average rainfall, 60mm from being the wettest November on record.
Spring is the most unsettled season in New Zealand.
Christchurch experienced a heatwave this month, notching more than five straight days more than five degrees above average.
But just weeks ago, the sea-level cities of Dunedin and Invercargill were blanketed in snow.
Further north, gale force winds shut Auckland's Harbour Bridge to motorists a number of times during Spring, while Napier was besieged by flash flooding in a "one-in-150 year" deluge last week.
"We have a large number of fast-moving fronts pass over the country in Spring and that's what's happened in Wellington this month particularly," Mr Ferris said.