`Blame weather on La Nina'

THE BIG DIG: The Cameron family from Auckland has taken to going to the beach despite the inclement weather.

Holidaymakers have been soldiering on despite the humid weather conditions and double the rainfall last month.

Johnathan Cameron and his family from Auckland say the weather has been "very unusual and extremely disappointing".

"We are here for my three weeks' annual leave and there is just nothing for the kids to do if it rains."

Nevertheless, the family was at Palm Beach despite showers last Thursday with numerous others catching the sun when it came out, digging and swimming in the ocean which is warm because of tropical currents.

National Institute of Water and Atmosphere chief climate change scientist James Renwick says "blame it on La Nina and tropical expansion".

"The tropics are now a few degrees of latitude closer to us than they were 50 years ago due to the expansion of the tropical belt through global warming," he says.

This opinion by Mr Renwick was published by Waiheke Marketplace in November 2010, shortly before Cyclone Wilma caused widespread flooding and slips the following January.

Mr Renwick says this year's heavy rainfall is also caused by the South Pacific Convergence Zone which is the main rainfall feature in the South Pacific.

"It is lying southwest of its normal location, and is extended farther south than normal.

"Rather than lying between Fiji and Samoa and then out towards French Polynesia, it's lying more over New Caledonia and extending nearly to North Cape. This is typical of La Nina, though the extension all the way to just north of New Zealand is a bit unusual."

Mr Renwick says high pressure systems are tending to sit over the South Island and just east of the country.

"They are encouraging moist easterlies and north-easterlies over the North Island and Nelson/Marlborough, and dry settled weather over most of the South Island."

NIWA's outlook for January to March says to expect more of the same.

For things to do with the kids when it rains, try the Waiheke Community Library at Artworks, the holiday programme at the Storytelling Centre at Artworks or the holiday art programme at the Red Shed in Palm Beach.

- Waiheke Marketplace