General December Weather

[Michael]

Now, what did the NZ Herald say the max-gust at Akld Aero was yesterday
recall 41kmh
It was nonstop here anyway 2 pm onwards almost a constant speed till nightfall and was still blowing after mid night,todays even worse,wind like this ruins otherwise a nice day.

[Nev]

Looks like December was a cloudy warm month right across NZ, rainfall up for many areas but below average for some areas east of the main Ranges.

Looks like nationally, December 2010 could well be the warmest on record, or at least close to it.

Of the six main centres, it appears that Auckland, Tauranga and Hamilton all had their warmest December on record, while Christchurch Aero had its second warmest on record.

Rainfall above average for all the main centres, except Christchurch. Sunshine normal for Dunedin, but below normal for the others.

[RWood]

Looks like December was a cloudy warm month right across NZ, rainfall up for many areas but below average for some areas east of the main Ranges.

Looks like nationally, December 2010 could well be the warmest on record, or at least close to it.

Of the six main centres, it appears that Auckland, Tauranga and Hamilton all had their warmest December on record, while Christchurch Aero had its second warmest on record.

Rainfall above average for all the main centres, except Christchurch. Sunshine normal for Dunedin, but below normal for the others.

After looking at Explorer charts I've been picking for some time that it would be the warmest since 1934 - but has no chance of beating that one, which had an anomaly of around 2.8-2.9C, far ahead of 2005.

[Nev]

After looking at Explorer charts I've been picking for some time that it would be the warmest since 1934 - but has no chance of beating that one, which had an anomaly of around 2.8-2.9C, far ahead of 2005.

Thanks RWood. Apparently December 2010 was our third equal warmest December on record with 1988, according to Jim Salinger's calculations. Seems this Dec's national average temp was 17.3C or 1.6C above normal, while for Dec 1934 it was 18.5C and Dec 2005 it was 17.5C (presumably Dec 1872's 17.8C doesn't count).

[RWood]

This report sparked a reaction from several mentally-challenged morons (on Yahoo news in the comments section) who can't distinguish between temperatures and other weather parameters. One of them said New Plymouth had been "cold" - funny that, a friend of mine had double-fruiting bananas in December for the first time.

[David]

NIWA summary is out http://www.niwa.co.nz/news-and-publicat ... ember-2010.

[Tim S]

NIWA summary is out http://www.niwa.co.nz/news-and-publicat ... ember-2010.

Hrmm, surely the person at NIWA would be better qualified than to write something like this:

A severe storm passed over the country on the 27th and 28th of the month, resulting in significant rainfalls, flooding and gale force winds for many areas.

That's one big severe storm, never heard of one the size of NZ before! I have a feeling the report would have been written by a media liason officer and then checked for accuracy by one of the scientists listed at the end of the report. Either way its not surprising the media like to term any inclement weather as been caused by a storm, when NIWA itself refers to an intense fast moving low pressure system as a 'severe storm'.

There is also such a thing called 'severe rain' too, must be severely wet or something.

Near Omarama in the Waitaki basin, severe rain forced campers to flee a free camping site near the Ahuriri River.

[Michael]

Guess severe rain is the name for heavy rain...It be severe if it was acid rain.

[Tornado Tim]

Yes I agree with you Tim!

Who on earth is writing it! I personally dont classify a low or a deep low a "storm".

A storm or "severe storm" I would say is more localized and not referring to the whole low system itself.

Severe Rain, LOL Its not the the rain itself thats severe its the result of the rain that is in my opinion.

Next thing the media will come up with is Severe Fog, haha LOL

[RWood]

NIWA summary is out http://www.niwa.co.nz/news-and-publicat ... ember-2010.

Meanwhile, November's stats. are not out yet. Normal Xmas-NY delay I think.

[Michael]

Slightly ot the newspapers used to do big write ups on the month summaries plus a bigger one to round the year,one it used to be good was the evening standard in Palmerston north but it probably doesnt these days and the evening post/dominion did as well.