Old data sees 1995 Ophir temperature record smashed

[Willoughby]

Wow!!

New Zealand's new record coldest day
Last updated 06:32 12/07/2011

Climate scientists trawling through old records have unearthed the coldest day ever recorded in New Zealand.

The previous lowest recorded daily minimum temperature record was minus 21.6degC, recorded at Ophir in Central Otago in 1995, but now the official low has plunged to minus 25.6degC, at Ranfurly, about 60km from Ophir, in 1903.

The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa) announced the new low was discovered while old New Zealand temperature records were being entered into the National Climate database.

The Tuapeka Times, July 18, 1903, reported: "It is some years now since frost of equal severity to the present has been experienced in the district."

Story continues: http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/5270 ... oldest-day

[Nev]

Yes, I was looking at that data last night. Their previous day also had a T-min of -23.3C and a T-max of -21.1C, based on 24 hr obs to 9am. Ranfurly also appears to have remained below -20C for 2-3 days.

[Andy]

Well done Ranfurly. Must of been a very cold week.

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

Yes.....
...but are those old records accurate compared to today's accuracy?

JohnGaul
NZThS

[Nev]

Hard to say? I think Stevenson-screens became the accepted standard around 1910, so generally speaking any readings before then could be a little suspect.

[Willoughby]

Don't see why it wouldn't be accurate - as it's simply just a measurement on a line of expanding mercury in glass, placed in a Stevenson screen. As long it got calibrated every so often it would have been pin-point accurate.

FWIW, looking at this page shows that Ireland recorded it's all-time maximum and minimum in the same decade of the 1880's! (33.3°C and −19.1°C respectively)

[Nev]

Yes, so long as the instrument was suitably screened, any discrepancy would most likely be of little consequence, particularly with 4.0C difference between that and the previous 1995 record.

According to the station's notes, it was sited in a State Forest Nursery just W of Ranfurly since 1897 (where the Maniototo Hospital was later built), before being moved about 10 km N end of 1922.

[Andy]

Upset locals

http://www.odt.co.nz/regions/central-ot ... -war-heats

Mr Leask also cast doubt on whether the minus 25.6degC recorded in Ranfurly was in fact the country's lowest temperature.

"We don't know what temperature we had here in 1903, but I think if Ranfurly got minus 25.6, then places like Oturehua [in the Ida Valley] might have been colder."

I agree

[Nev]

Upset locals

http://www.odt.co.nz/regions/central-ot ... -war-heats

Mr Leask also cast doubt on whether the minus 25.6degC recorded in Ranfurly was in fact the country's lowest temperature.

"We don't know what temperature we had here in 1903, but I think if Ranfurly got minus 25.6, then places like Oturehua [in the Ida Valley] might have been colder."

I agree

Kinda reminds me of the philosophical riddle...

If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?


Btw, that Stevenson Screen looks a little dodgy. My one is double-louvered and well ventilated, but there's no way you can see direct daylight through it.