Whakatane sunniest place in NZ
Whakatane's clear, sunny skies have seen it take back the crown of New Zealand's sunniest spot in 2012.
Provisional figures released by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) show Whakatane recorded 2602 hours of sunshine, narrowly ahead of the South Island's Nelson, which had 2584 and Tekapo with 2562.
The figures show a return to the top by the Bay of Plenty town, which dropped back to third in 2011, behind Nelson and Tekapo, after placing top in 2010.
NIWA senior climate scientist Georgina Griffiths told NZ Newswire that overall, 2012 was a relatively sunny year, especially in western parts of the North Island from Te Kuiti to Kapiti, as well as the West Coast.
Nelson was pipped for first place in the sunshine stakes due to frequent easterly winds in the first five months of the year, she said.
No data was available as yet about which parts of the country got the least sun.
However, Dr Griffiths says areas which were relatively cloudy during 2012 included Wellington, Wairarapa, Blenheim, and parts of Northland and Central Otago
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