New Zealand Climate and Weather.docx

New Zealand Climate and WeatherNew Zealand weather and climate is of paramount importance to the people of New Zealand, as many New Zealanders make their living from the land. New Zealand has mild temperatures, moderately high rainfall, and many hours of sunshine throughout most of the country. New Zealands climate is dominated by two main geographical features: the mountains and the sea.New Zealand TemperaturesNew Zealand has a largely temperate climate. While the far north has subtropical weather during summer, and inland alpine areas of the South Island can be as cold as -10 C in winter, most of the country lies close to the coast, which means mild temperatures, moderate rainfall, and abundant sunshine.Because New Zealand is in the Southern Hemisphere, the average temperature decreases as you travel south. The north of New Zealand is subtropical and the south temperate. The warmest months are December, January and February, and the coldest June, July and August. In summer, the average maximum temperature ranges between 20 - 30oC and in winter between 10 - 15oC.As an island, New Zealand experiences a temperate climate which is influenced by the proximity of coastline and sea. Our many vineyards are grown predominantly in coastal areas, with strong sunlight during daytime hours and cool temperatures at night caused by winds from the sea. The long ripening time for grapes results in strong wines, full of flavour.Regional VarietiesEven within New Zealands temperate climate, there is wide regional variation in temperature. A warmer climate in the north allows grapes to be harvested in late February or early March, while southern vineyards begin harvesting six or seven weeks later, in mid to late April. In keeping with this difference in climate and geographical conditions, each region has specialty wine varieties. Climate study to help grow wine industryResearch into climate and vineyards could grow the kiwi wine industry by 10 per cent. A two-year study into climate