Holiday Weather

Dean. · Unread post by **Dean.** » Sun 04/01/2004 21:05

I turned off statehighway one on Saturday afternoon and drove inland to check out a fire in the Selwyn riverbed,the temperature was nowhere near 39 degrees,the highest i recorded was 35 degrees near Hororata,then I went home via the Rakaia gorge to Ashburton.
Maybe Darfields temp recordings are 3-4 degrees off the mark??.

Much cooler today,dropped to around 23 this afternoon with a slight southerly wind.

Cheers.

jeffsweather · Unread post by **jeffsweather** » Sun 04/01/2004 21:29

As Tony mentions, things now are not as they were in 1973.
There was an interesting thread about the UK Met Office changing from traditional Stevenson screens to modern plastic screens of different design.
In a paper from the WMO condensed here:
http://www.knmi.nl/~meulenvd/wmo/TECO1998/tc98temp.pdf

It showed that using a plastic screen as a reference, at times a traditional Stevenson screen could be up to 1.7 degrees warmer in the same conditions.

This lead to a discussion on the uk.sci.weather news group as to how this affects the long term averages when equipment is updated.
You can read the thread on Google groups here:
http://tinyurl.com/2qrvq

I'm thinking of putting small fans on my temperature sensors to see if I can get over the hot, still day problem.
Not sure if I will run them all the time or just when the wind speed is low.

spwill · Unread post by **spwill** » Sun 04/01/2004 22:51

If 41 degrees was recorded at Darfield on friday I would have expected many more stations down there to come in with similar readings on that day.Other stations got to the mid thirties. The step from 36 degrees to 41 degrees is enormous.

Manukau heads obs · Sun 04/01/2004 22:53

maybe we can blame global warming on the new electronic sensor and their housing?

i have a double louvered marine stevenson screen, kindly dontated by the met service (as they get my data)

NZ Thunderstorm Soc · Sun 04/01/2004 23:11

All my readings are done in a Stevenson's screen using a Sixes thermometer. It's a bit dilapidated though and the door fell off when I was away in Upper Hutt. I have another S. Screen ex Parapapaumu airport which I hope to erect sometime.
This type of recording is quite simple but I find it quite accurate

JohnGaul
NZTS

Chris Raine · Unread post by **Chris Raine** » Mon 05/01/2004 13:33

I use a Stevenson Screen as well. It turns 30 years of age this year and has survived numerous shifts around New Zealand. Standard pattern meteorological thermometers are used as well. Currently temp is 22 degrees with 68 % humidity and a gusty westerly wind averaging 25 kts. No rain with the front.

Dean. · Unread post by **Dean.** » Mon 05/01/2004 17:42

The heat dial has been turned up again this afternoon,currently over 30 degrees again with a haze of smoke drifting from the west,in a moderate northwesterly wind.

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Mon 05/01/2004 19:58

There is the chance of afternoon thunderstorms over inland Southland, Otago, South Canterbury tomorrow.

Surface winds should turn onshore tomorrow(NE) which will take moisture inland. Daytime heating and possible convergence will
encourage cb development.

Have to check the stability of the air again tomorrow but it was looking
a tad unstable today.

Michael · Unread post by **Michael** » Mon 05/01/2004 20:52

yes nice sunny weather in Wanganui and Wellington where I went A light westerly/northerly breeze in the day but not too hot but hot inland when driving on New Years Day

Not as hot today though

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Tue 06/01/2004 06:52

The thunder risk down south looks less likely this morning.
Thats the fical world of the the ts for you.

The NZ herald yesterday did a survey of Auckland temperatures using a "Dick Smiths Dual temp alert thermometer" and recorded 42.7C at Westmere, central Auckland. There you go....Auckland has beaten Darfield.

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Tue 06/01/2004 09:26

I opened the curtains this morning and surprise - it was raining. Only lightly, and it soon ceased, but the forecast for Canterbury has been upgraded to predict some rain for this afternoon. We haven't had decent rain since late November in Chch.

Speaking of record temperatures, I can't understand why Darfield would get a maximum 5C higher than other Canterbury Plains stations. It's not in a basin. One area which I would imagine getting very high maximums would be the Culverden basin in North Canterbury - a fair distance from the sea, separated from the coast by extensive hill country, as well being subject (like the Canty Plains) to the warming effects of northwest airflows crossing the western ranges. Are there any known weather stations in or near Culverden? It's worth noting that Hanmer (also in a basin, yet higher and closer to the mountains) has had consecutive 3 days with a 34C maximum lately.

BTW, just before Xmas, there was still a significant patchy snow cover on the mountains. Yesterday, as I was crossing from Akaroa to Chch, I could see only 1 small patch on a high peak of the Torlesse Range.

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Tue 06/01/2004 09:30

It's worth noting that Hanmer (also in a basin, yet higher and closer to the mountains) has had consecutive 3 days with a 34C maximum lately.

According to TV1 Weather I forgot to add.

I've just had a look at the 7AM radar - seems to be quite a bit more rain in North Canterbury.

Fujita Phil · Unread post by **Fujita Phil** » Tue 06/01/2004 12:27

tich wrote:but the forecast for Canterbury has been upgraded to predict some rain

Mmm, same for Dunedin. I woke to a cloud base of about 300m and drizzle. I was planning to cut the lawns this morning after listening to Karen last night

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Tue 06/01/2004 17:10

NIWA have revised the Darfield temperature down to 38.4C.

Details here

http://www.niwa.co.nz/pubs/mr/archive/2004-01-03-1

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Tue 06/01/2004 17:50

The scrub fires and heatwave in Canterbury made it onto ABC TV news last night(Australia).

Looks a cloudy and cool day in the south today but Thursday's NW'ester is looking very hot with 850HPA temps forecast to be 20C. That can translate to temps mid 30's on the surface.

Doesn't look like cb's will fire down south today. Temperature of 21C would have triggered convection. But looking very cloudy with temps of 15-16C in east Otago. Alot cooler than I had expected.

TonyT · Unread post by **TonyT** » Tue 06/01/2004 21:52

NZstorm wrote:NIWA have revised the Darfield temperature down to 38.4C.

Details here

http://www.niwa.co.nz/pubs/mr/archive/2004-01-03-1

Yes, thats more like it. Fits much better with the other obs that day. It would be interesting to hear an explanation of how they got 41 in the first place, and how they decided toi revise it to 38.4.

Chris Raine · Unread post by **Chris Raine** » Tue 06/01/2004 22:07

Lots of TCu in Southland today but no obvious Cb's . Cu became Ac Cugen at about 10000 ft.

Fujita Phil · Unread post by **Fujita Phil** » Tue 06/01/2004 22:43

Ended up with 4mm of drizzle, then light rain today, coming in on the North Easterly. Climbed only to 13.7C and that was just after 6pm.

Slight contrast to my 30.7C three days ago.

spwill · Unread post by **spwill** » Thu 08/01/2004 15:25

There will be some big falls of rain on the West Coast today. The Front crossing the area looks very active.