La Nina holds back grape harvest (NZ)

Grey days and cooler temperatures in Marlborough could set back this year’s grape harvest by up to 14 days, experts say. Sunshine hours in Marlborough, regarded as one of the sunniest spots in New Zealand, were down on the 30-year average of 483 hours for December and January. National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research principal scientist Dr James Renwick said Marlborough recorded 437 sunshine hours during December and January, compared with 451 hours for the same months last summer, reports The Marlborough Express.