Auckland Weather 1988

[janewaystv]

I got this report from a mate whilst on holidays in Auckland 2 months ago. I'm very sure some of the information is incorrect/outdated, if you think so please feel free to point out where necessary.

1988 will be remembered as a disappointing year with bad weather prevailing almost every month with storms and tornadoes being more common than usual. Henderson and Glendene suffered the worst when tornadoes struck in August and October with the latter leap-frogging through those suburbs demolishing glasshouses, lifting roofs, shattering glasses & causing hundred of thousands dollars worth of damage. 1988 was one of the cloudiest on record with 1724 hrs of sun, making this the dreariest year since 1952. Up to the end of September the sun refused to shine on Auckland with only 1208 hrs of sun.

Jan - Sunnier & drier than usual but cooler

Feb - warmer than usual but with more thunderstorms & less sun

Mar - Wettest (171mm) since 1972 (247mm) & much cloudier than normal. Most of the rain fell from Cyclone Bola.

Apr - Driest (22mm) since 1885 (13mm) with average sun

May - One of the cloudiest on record (84 hrs)

Jun - Warmer & drier than usual, only 57mm fell (47% of the average) but with less sun

Jul - 3rd wettest (224mm) since records began in 1853 & the cloudiest (93 hrs) since 1964 (91 hrs).

Aug - Cloudiest on record (112 hrs) and the wettest ( 163mm) since 1986 (176mm)

Sep - One of the warmest on record but more rain than usual & only 89 hrs of sun - a new record

Oct - One of the warmest on record with more sun and less rain than normal

Nov - Warmest month in history with an average of 15.2oC but cloudier than usual.

Dec - Wettest (143mm) since 1984 (197mm) & more cloud than usual

[RWood]

The sun figure can't be trusted (flawed city site), but it was a very cloudy year nevertheless. Auck. Aero had about 1860 hrs.

[NZstorm]

The sun figure can't be trusted (flawed city site),

The city site would have been the roof of the Meteorological office though, so this would be an accurate figure (1724hrs).

I can remember phenomenal thunderstorms around the 22 feb 1988 with flash flooding in west Auckland. The Meteorological Service rainguage at Whenuapai recorded around 150mm in a few hrs. There was also major flooding/power cuts in the eastern Waikato from the storms.

[RWood]

The sun figure can't be trusted (flawed city site),

The city site would have been the roof of the Meteorological office though, so this would be an accurate figure (1724hrs).

I can remember phenomenal thunderstorms around the 22 feb 1988 with flash flooding in west Auckland. The Meteorological Service rainguage at Whenuapai recorded around 150mm in a few hrs. There was also major flooding/power cuts in the eastern Waikato from the storms.

Years ago I received reliable information from Met/NIWA (don't recall which) that the exposure HAD changed. I don't recall the details now, but the site originally recorded sunshine on some upper part or roof of what was then the NAC building in the 60s. At some later point changes in that building or the surrounding ones caused more shading. There was a sudden deterioration in the city values relative to Mangere, Auckland Aero and other northern NI sites from 1986 onwards.

EDIT: This from NIWA site notes from Cliflo. They were slow onto the game, as the differences were quite clear from early 1986. The earlier notes confirm the NAC building location.


......................
20-Sep-1985 Instruments moved to new office on Ponsonby Road and installed on roof. Exposure is poor for raingauges because of gusts and squalls. Buildings restrict the view to NE and SE but none is more than 3 deg above the horizon.
23-Oct-1985 Routine inspection. Photos taken.
02-May-1986 Inspection and overhaul of anemometer.
03-Jul-1986 Inspection and overhaul of anemometer.
07-Feb-1988 Routine visit. Photos taken.
21-Jun-1988 New building shading sunshine recorder and probably causing loss of 30 minutes' sunshine a day. No better site available.
08-Oct-1988 Routine inspection.
18-Dec-1989 New radar antenna will shade sunshine recorder in winter. Official Auckland sunshine hours to be taken from Mangere site.
31-Dec-1990 Station closed. Replaced by EDR A6487A.

[NZstorm]

By 1988 the observing site was the roof of 30 Ponsonby Road. I don't know what year the Met Service moved from Victoria street to Ponsonby Road but my thinking was as the instrument was being operated by the Meteorological Service its reading should be okay for that area.

[RWood]

The loss in 1988 is commented on above and I can assure you that from 1986 on the figures just don't stack up. However, you can feel free to ignore me if you wish.

The fact that Met Service was operating a site is not a guarantee of data quality, although on average they have probably been more mindful of potential issues than the other categories of observers used, as one would expect.

[janewaystv]

Article of NZ's 1988 weather (Shortened version)

1. Weather experts predicts the El Nino pattern dying out & La Nina expected to return a normal Summer to the country.

2. February - Fierce storms battered the Thames Valley, Waitako and Central NI tearing down powerlines & lashing the countryside with torrents of rain.

3. March - Cyclone Bola, a tropical storm turned cyclone dumped rain non-stop for 96 hrs on East Coasters whilst gale force winds battered the land with 2500 people evacuated from Gisborne and Wairoa.

4. September - Storms struck the EC of the NI again, flooding rivers & ruining vineyards and farmland.

5. May - Greymouth flooded, considered the worst flood of the century, infact this episode turned out to be the second worst - floods struck again in September with floodwaters as much as 2.5 metres deep & a metre higher than the May flood & calls by the mayor for the town to be shifted.

6. Otago/Canterbury - Oamaru recorded 127mm in 6 months ending September, barely more than half the average. Christchurch recorded 162mm in the same period, the driest half year since records began.

[janewaystv]

1988 sunshine figures:-

Auckland City
1724.2 hrs

Mangere
1727.3 hrs

Aero
1860.2 hrs

The AKL City reading is regarded as too low due to obstruction from new building, what about the Mangere reading? That's out in the open & shows an even lower reading, yet the Aero which isn't that far from Mangere shows an reading 133 hrs higher?

[RWood]

The Mangere - Aero difference was quite consistent over the period 1979-1988 - Mangere about 94% of Aero on average, range 92-95. Prior to 1979 (1970-78) it was a bit closer with the ratio averaging 97-98%.

For the Mangere - Auckland City comparison, it was pretty close for 1965-1975, Mangere about 98-99% of City. For 1976-1985, it was a little less so at 95-96% average. So a 1988 context still makes the City value look rather low.

The City-Aero comparison changes quite markedly for 1986-1988 assessed against earlier values.

[RWood]

To veer off slightly, I quite liked 1988 in W'gton even though it was one of the windier years post-1983 (especially October), as it was one of the warmest and driest years.

[janewaystv]

October 1988 was absolutely awful here - one of the worst Octobers ever with sunshine 132.5% of the average & only 0.7% of the normal rain due to annoying persistant W winds.

[RWood]

Horses for courses though - i'd quite enjoy it!

[janewaystv]

You would (Moving to Australia ever appeal to you?) However on the plus side Nov. had 174mm (210% of normal) and Dec. 141mm (182% of normal) so that certainly more than made up for Oct. + a real nice way to end 1988.

[RWood]

It did appeal years ago but various circumstances held it off. A bit late now given our ages etc....happy here.