Story: South Canterbury region

Rainfall map

Rainfall map

South Canterbury is a region of rainfall extremes. On reaching the barrier of the Southern Alps, moist westerly winds rise and cool, causing heavy rain. As the airmass crosses the region, it runs out of moisture and the amount of rainfall decreases.

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How to cite this page:

John Wilson, 'South Canterbury region - Climate, vegetation and wildlife', Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/map/11656/rainfall-map (accessed 19 April 2024)

Story by John Wilson, updated 1 Feb 2017