Figure 2: Percentage change in average annual rainfall for 1978-98 compared to the preceding 21 years

Text description of figure

A figure which illustrates annual rainfall in New Zealand over the period 1978 - 1998 (when New Zealand was in a positive phase of the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO)), compared to rainfall in the preceding 21 years (when New Zealand was in a negative IPO phase). The figure shows that the North and East of the North Island were between 4% - 8% drier in the 1978-1998 period, with the remaining parts of the North Island falling into the 4% drier - 4% wetter band (that is, no significant change in average rainfall). The northern part of the South Island was between 4% - 8% wetter in the 1978-1998 period, with the remaining parts of the West Coast more than 8% wetter. The remaining parts of the East Coast of the South Island fell into the 4% drier - 4% wetter (no significant change) band.