A Hot Day

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

For the records, here are the maximums for yesterday's very warm temperatures in the east of the South Island of New Zealand of official temperatures of over 35C.

1. Timaru 40.3C
2. Oamaru 36.4C
3. Ashburton 35.9C
4. Christchurch 35.9C
5. Dunedin 35.2C

Here in West Melton it was 35.8C

JohnGaul
NZThS

[Razor]

Shame we didn't start a new thread yesterday, for posterity...perhaps the closest we've come to 1973 ....since 1973?

[Michael]

Though in 1973 N.Z was such a different place than it is today now,though we had the start of oil shocks that year,probably the 1st touch of reality as far as gas supplies.

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

The weather maps were similar for yesterday and today in Feb 1973.
I have a copy of Feb 7th's noon map from an old weather book.

JohnGaul
NZThS

[Nev]

For the records, here are the maximums for yesterday's very warm temperatures in the east of the South Island of New Zealand of official temperatures of over 35C.

1. Timaru 40.3C
2. Oamaru 36.4C
3. Ashburton 35.9C
4. Christchurch 35.9C
5. Dunedin 35.2C

Note that that Dunedin T-max of 35.2C appears to be from the new MetService/Council site on the roof of the Dunedin Public Art Gallery in the Octagon (Dunedin Aero was 32.4C and Musselburgh 34.4C).

I see NIWA have 41.3C for their Timaru Gardens site yesterday, 1.0C more than the airport!

Timaru Gardens highest ever temp since reliable records began in 1911 was 37.2C on Jan 3, 1921 (2nd highest was 37.0C on Feb 7, 1973).

[Michael]

the 8th(1973),front 1/2 up the NI looks like today...had (yesterday) 3pm temps chch 35c others not that spectacular.

[NZstorm]

Some historical comparisons.

The midday 850mb temperature at Christchurch on Feb 7 1973 was 27.4C.

The midday 850mb temperature at Chrischurch yesterday was 19C, Timaru 20C.

The 1973 info was sourced from a sounding taken at Christchurch Airport and yesterdays temps were sourced from the gfs model 00Z 00Hr.

Ch sounding from 1973.

[RWood]

The weather here in recent weeks, and especially the last few days, has been nothing like Feb. 1973, except for being fairly warm. Back then humidities here were much lower, it was very dry and predominantly very sunny after a sunnyish January. That was a decaying El Nino then however. This "summer" here is bidding to be one of the cloudiest on recard, and nothing like 1988-89 or any other Nina summer in recent decades.

[RWood]

For the records, here are the maximums for yesterday's very warm temperatures in the east of the South Island of New Zealand of official temperatures of over 35C.

1. Timaru 40.3C
2. Oamaru 36.4C
3. Ashburton 35.9C
4. Christchurch 35.9C
5. Dunedin 35.2C

Note that that Dunedin T-max of 35.2C appears to be from the new MetService/Council site on the roof of the Dunedin Public Art Gallery in the Octagon (Dunedin Aero was 32.4C and Musselburgh 34.4C).

I see NIWA have 41.3C for their Timaru Gardens site yesterday, 1.0C more than the airport!

[That 41.3C would match Ashburton's reading on 7/2/73, with higher values being 41.6 (Christchurch Gardens), 42.4 (Rangiora) and 42.3 (Jordan)]

Timaru Gardens highest ever temp since reliable records began in 1911 was 37.2C on Jan 3, 1921 (2nd highest was 37.0C on Feb 7, 1973).

[Michael]

1988-89 I remember well,in the southern NI anyway was really summery and dry in winter though there were very cold days over the winterand NE winds prevailed much of a long period tillabout september.The lows wernt ex TC that arrived here in N.Z but there were plenty of sub tropical lows in the north and like the un named thing after vania and co.

The weather here in recent weeks, and especially the last few days, has been nothing like Feb. 1973, except for being fairly warm. Back then humidities here were much lower, it was very dry and predominantly very sunny after a sunnyish January. That was a decaying El Nino then however. This "summer" here is bidding to be one of the cloudiest on recard, and nothing like 1988-89 or any other Nina summer in recent decades.

[Vertigo]

Some historical comparisons.

The midday 850mb temperature at Christchurch on Feb 7 1973 was 27.4C.

The midday 850mb temperature at Chrischurch yesterday was 19C, Timaru 20C.

The 1973 info was sourced from a sounding taken at Christchurch Airport and yesterdays temps were sourced from the gfs model 00Z 00Hr.

Ch sounding from 1973.

thats one heck of an impressive sounding!

[Richard]

I wonder if that Jorden recording site is still in operation and who ran it back then ??

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

I wonder if that Jorden recording site is still in operation and who ran it back then ??

Good point there, Dick
Woodbury, behind Geraldine, used to report in interesting weather readings from a meteorologist who was living there. You hear of nothing now these days. I wonder if that was the same case in Jordan or of any other places around New Zealand?

JohnGaul
NZThS