Where are temperature, wind and rainfall observations recorded?

In most cases official temperatures are recorded at airports to provide the most accurate current conditions for aviation. This is the case Wellington, Timaru, Auckland, Christchurch and most of the main town and cities.

Since New Zealand is surrounded by water and a unique topography there are always variations in temperature on any given day or night.  In most cases where you do notice variations in temperature, compared to your home thermometer, then you can adjust the readings compared to what you see on metservice.com.

It is also worth noting that all temperatures measured by MetService are recorded on highly sensitive instruments in ideal locations (i.e. out of direct sunlight and away from heat sources) housed in Stephenson’s screens. These are also calibrated yearly in accordance with strict WMO (World Meteorological Organization) standards. You can find out more in this blog.