Last month was one of the wettest Septembers in history as some parts of the country received near record levels of rainfall.
Double the normal amount of rainfall hit the southwest of the North Island, from Turangi to Taranaki to the Kapiti Coast, as well as the north and northwest of the South Island - including Nelson, Blenheim and Buller - and around Invercargill.
Many locations in these areas experienced their wettest September on record.
Most other regions around the country also received above normal rainfall, the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) says.
The only exceptions were eastern Northland and coastal north Canterbury, which experienced near normal rainfall, and Gisborne and south Canterbury, which received less than half of usual September falls.
NIWA says the month was characterised by wet and wild westerly winds. The La Nina weather pattern brought constant low pressures that was to blame for the wet weather.
Despite snow to low levels in the south and record low temperatures there towards the end of the month, temperatures around the country were slightly above average.
