At first glance, the rainfall figures for 2025 suggest it was a reasonably average year. Total rainfall reached 1,816 mm compared with a long-term average of 1,554 mm, finishing at 117 per cent of average — hardly an extraordinary result. What makes the year noteworthy, however, is the unusual rainfall pattern, which persisted through the first eight months and continued into the final four months.
The most exceptional feature of the latter part of the year was that the highest daily rainfall for 2025 occurred on 16 December, when 92 mm was recorded. This figure will vary widely across the district, with many locations reporting significantly higher totals than those measured at my gauge on that day.
Typically, the highest daily rainfall totals occur in the first four, or sometimes five, months of the year, driven by cyclones and storm activity. An example of this was in 2024, when the wettest day fell on 2 January and delivered 118 mm.
During the final four months of 2025, total rainfall amounted to 423 mm, slightly above the long-term average of 407 mm. Despite this, many people will recall needing to water lawns and gardens during that period. The explanation lies in the very dry conditions experienced in September and October, when just 64 mm was recorded — only 42 per cent of the two-month average. Furthermore, between 14 September and 14 October, only 1 mm fell, little more than a heavy dew, confirming that the dryness was certainly not imagined.
Now let’s look at some of the more unusual numbers. In 2025, we recorded a total of 134 wet days. Compared with 2024, this translated into more than an extra month of sunny days. The obvious question is whether the rain gods were kind to those of us working a standard Monday-to-Friday week.
Unfortunately for workers, the answer is no. There were 21 rainy Sundays, with Tuesdays and Wednesdays also featuring prominently. Sunday additionally claimed the title of the wettest day of the week overall, with approximately 327 mm falling across the year. Saturdays offered little relief either, recording 20 wet days and a total of 316 mm.
To really rub it in, the day with the fewest wet occurrences was Monday, with just 13 rainy days and a total rainfall of only 181 mm.
What does 2026 look like? As usual, the immediate future reflects the recent past. Meaning we can expect about average rainfall with normal fluctuations brought about seasonal changes in weather activity. Sounds boring, but I’m sure there be a few surprises along the way.
Finally, have a wonderful 2026.
