It's not hosing down - it must be Thursday

KEVIN STENT/Sunday Star Times

WINTER OF DISCONTENT: In a rotten winter that has seen Wellington drenched in almost twice the average rainfall, statistics show residents can look to Thursdays for a reprieve.

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In a rotten winter that has seen Wellington drenched in almost twice the average rainfall, sun-starved residents can look to Thursdays for a reprieve.

Niwa statistics confirm the outlook for Thursdays is fine - or at least better, as it has proved to be the least likely day for rain.

The bad news for weekend warriors is that the day most likely to cop a soaking is Sunday, with Monday splashing not far behind.

It has rained in Wellington on 84 days this year - eight were Thursdays.

Sundays (16 days) and Mondays (14) were the wettest.

Niwa climate researcher James Renwick turned to statistics in the hope of discovering why it had been such a damp winter.

"Honestly, there is no answer. It has just been one of those winters. We have been locked into a nasty weather cycle that we can't shake.

"While it's not common to have these weather cycles, it does happen occasionally. New Zealand is exposed to storms from all directions and we can see some wild swings in rainfall from one year to the next."

Last year 367mm of rain fell in Wellington during June, July and August.

About 600mm has already fallen in the same period this year.

But Dr Renwick is confident the outlook for the coming months will bring some pleasure, however.

"It's looking more settled in spring and summer so hopefully there's light at the end of the tunnel."

Soggy Saturdays - nine of them since the start of May - have also played havoc with sport, with rain forcing soccer, rugby and rugby league to shorten their seasons.

Junior soccer leagues were particularly hard hit, with an expectation that none of the 630 junior teams playing in Greater Wellington would complete its season.

Capital Football general manager Keith Palmer said the situation was frustrating.

"We're under tremendous grounds pressure ... even in a good year, so we've been particularly hard hit.

"We're damned if we do, damned if we don't. At times we've pushed the boundaries of that more than we would normally just to try and get some football played. "

- © Fairfax NZ News