'Christchurch for ya': Garden City on track for gloomiest June ever

Christchurch is on track for its dullest June ever in terms of sunlight hours - with less than an hour a day shining through so far this month.

Grey skies have blanketed the Garden City for most of June - so far this month, it's only received 13 hours and 48 minutes of sunlight. 

All that grey is giving some residents the blues.

"We had two days of sun and that was about it," one resident told Newshub.

"It's been pretty cold and miserable, but that's Christchurch for ya," another said.

Christchurch averages 119 hours of sunshine for the month of June. According to MetService, the city is tracking well below that this year.

"Well 1981 saw the worst June on record - at the moment, 59.3 hours of sunshine, so we're certainly a lot below that, but it really depends on the weather," MetService Meteorologist Lisa Murray says.

The only escape from the gloomy weather is 2000 metres above sea level, high up at Mt Hutt ski field - with skiers discovering the only way to beat the clouds is to climb above them.

The lack of sunlight is taking its toll, making it difficult for some people to sleep, and impacting mental health of others.

"For people who are at risk of low mood and depression, it's a problem when we're not getting regular doses of sunlight," says Richard Porter, Professor of Psychiatry University of Otago in Christchurch.

There's no relief in sight either, with Metservice forecasting cloud for the next 10 days - making this June a strong contender for the gloomiest month in the recorded history of Christchurch. 

Newshub.