NZ Thunderstorm Soc wrote:30.5mm all up for the event.
( recorded in my Nylex 1000 rain-gauge which I bought from Mitre 10 in 2006 when we moved here).
We have these available again at mitre 10, they have been out for awhile much better as you say than the wedge gauges.
I wouldn't buy the cheap Mcgregors ones as they become brittle very quickly, the nylex range is UV protected to a degree.
However what people forget is no rain gauge is frost protected as goes with garden hoses, you should bring them in during winter months.
Storm Struck wrote:
We have these available again at mitre 10, they have been out for awhile much better as you say than the wedge gauges.
I wouldn't buy the cheap Mcgregors ones as they become brittle very quickly, the nylex range is UV protected to a degree.
However what people forget is no rain gauge is frost protected as goes with garden hoses, you should bring them in during winter months.
Its difficult to bring them out of the frost when its rains during the night and clears, had thought of spraying a water proof lubricant on the inside, this would allow the ice to slide up instead of expanding and creaking, unfortunately this wouldn't work with a Nylex1000 with its even sided tube. The self tipping are certainly the best for a climate like this.
83mm here in the past month which has been an absolute godsend. Should see us reasonably well set up to avoid the worst of any potential big dry over the rest of Jan / Feb once suspects.
Headed down to Rangiora this afternoon and was surprised that the NW wind we've had here for two days hadn't made it as far as the plains, this is common in winter but not so in summer ,high of 23.7.
Yes December in Christchurch had below average temps and above average rainfall, I reckon most people would take that considering the doom and gloom some people were saying would happen this summer! January has started off magnificently well in terms of rainfall as well for most of Canterbury, at least if worse comes to pass and we get low rainfall and high temps for the rest of summer the last 6 weeks will offset that...
I think El Nino peaking in spring saved us... but i dont want to speak too soon. Still a lot of summer to go. We had a very dry October and very dry December like most of the country, as El Nino peaked. If that had happened in Jan Feb March it would have been the doom and gloom that was being spouted. However, as i said there is still plenty of heat to come this summer.
I'm guessing the critical period for farming was mid Spring to early Summer, Feb/March are typically dry or atleast rainfall is unreliable at this time in any Summer
2 weeks dry weather will well and truly evaporate any rain north Canterbury had in fact most would be gone now with the hot windy NWer inland over the last few days. None of that rain would have made the subsoil and thats what really counts.
From Ecan:
"Flood warning RIVERBED ALERT - NORTH CANTERBURY
More Info
Area: Kaikoura - Hinds
Additional Info: This was posted @ 8-30am, Friday the 8th of January. Over 100mm of rain has fallen along the Main Divide with a little more to come. This will cause the major alpine rivers of this area (Rakaia, Waimakariri, Hurunui + Waiau) to rise a tad throughout the day. No out of river problems are anticipated. This message will remain into the weekend."
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word 'tad' (possibly an abbreviation of tadpole) can be traced back to 1870 in North America to mean 'small child' (particularly a boy). However, since about 1940 it's been commonly used to simply mean 'a small amount'. The word also cropped up in 1845, but with a different meaning to describe someone who can’t or won’t pay.
Managed to get a brief respite today from the NW quarter winds that have been blowing for the last 4 days, a SW wind change yesterday that pushed up through coastal areas came within 10km of here but was pushed back out east, today another SW change did manage to arrive around 10.00am but a return to a strong NW arrived again about 2.00pm. Where have the calm hot summers of 10 years ago and earlier gone.
Great weekend on the west coast with only about 3mm both days falling in the early mornings tho, Sunny and warm around Arthur's pass today for a run in the Mt white area. Came into the clag around lake Lyndon with heavy drizzle as Richard.
I see Rangiora and Cheviot were in the top five driest locations in the county last year, right up with Clyde and Alexandra. Crazy stuff from a coastal town compared to a very dry inland basin.
Yes i see Rangiora on 293mm was dryer than here on 311mm, i do find that hard to believe though because there were so many times during the year when the plains were getting rain and there was nothing here.
We almost never got that rain though as it never came past about the waimak river, many time it would be good rain in town and bone dry here all day.
My station recorded 304mm here in Rangiora.
must be some of that Claytons rain
