New weather station tells Taupo's true temperature

A new weather station on the Gascoigne Reserve is now able to tell the rest of New Zealand how hot (or not) it really is in Taupo.

The new weather station is the result of concerns raised by local residents to Taupo District Council about inaccurate temperatures and wind readings for Taupo on national news stations.

Not unlike most towns in New Zealand, the old weather station is situated at the Taupo Airport and tells a much bleaker story. “It is very much out in the open there, so the wind factor can make up to two degrees difference in temperature,” says Infrastructure Services Group Manager Ted Anderson.

“People often felt it was not a true reflection of what it was like in town on any given day, so we decided it would be worth creating a better positioned station,” says Mr Anderson.

Councillor Doreen Blyth, who has been requesting the move to happen for many years now, says that at the end of the day the weather readings should be done from where the people are. “I’m happy that we are now able to provide TV weather people with an accurate picture of just how nice it is in Taupo.”