More Top Stories

National
League
Athletics
Economy
Rugby league

Moana target 2025 World Cup

11 November 2022

Rarotonga records coldest day of the year

Friday 8 July 2022 | Written by Caleb Fotheringham | Published in Environment, National

Share

Rarotonga records coldest day of the year
Sisters Coral and Pearl Fonmanu dressed in their warm clothes for their afternoon walk yesterday. Rarotonga recorded the annual low temperature of 17.3 degrees celsius at 2.30am yesterday. Photo: Supplied/22070715

Rarotonga recorded its coldest day yesterday with temperatures dropping to 17.3 degrees celsius at 2.30am.

Meteorological Service director Arona Ngari said it was due to a high-pressure system located to the southwest of the Cook Islands.

“The high pressure is pushing a ridge towards the north onto the southern Cook Islands. The longer this high pressure hangs around there, the longer the cooler air will linger for us,” Ngari said.

“So grab that jumper and jacket when driving or when outdoors and have that wooly blanket close by when hitting the sack at night.”

In 2021, the lowest temperature recorded was 15.8 degrees celsius. The lowest ever temperature of 9.8 degrees was recorded in August, 1965. 

Ngari said the country was still in a La Nina episode which means the Northern Cook Islands will be dry while the Southern Cook Islands will either have average or slightly below average rainfall.