General December Weather

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

Another day of 'clagg', not cold mind you but overcast conditions making it a dull day. Light rain at times.

[melja]

Cool here with a high of 14.7C and raining at the moment

Sent from my Redmi Note 4 using Tapatalk

[Simon Culling]

Thanks for your reply Nev. The tweet was not clear as to which day the temperature was recorded on so thanks for clarifying. I was also surprised by how low the December maximum was as Rotorua is not at any great altitude.

Three years is not a long time for a site record and the recording of new highs and lows. Do NIWA run their network independently of MetService?

[Richard]

Much brighter this morning with the odd patch of blue sky, just as well, been getting sick of the grey skies of late.

[Nev]

Thanks for your reply Nev. The tweet was not clear as to which day the temperature was recorded on so thanks for clarifying. I was also surprised by how low the December maximum was as Rotorua is not at any great altitude.

Three years is not a long time for a site record and the recording of new highs and lows. Do NIWA run their network independently of MetService?

Hi Simon. The graphics used by NIWA and MetService in their tweets usually include a date.

Note that Rotorua Aero sits on the eastern shores of Lake Rotorua and is generally a little cooler than NIWA's current 3-year-old city site about 6-7 km away around the south end of the lake.

NIWA actually has records for 2 older sites in the southern Whakarewarewa area and within 2 km of its current city racecourse site. The one I mentioned earlier (1921-1956) and another that has records from 1901 to 1981. It appears there's no records of 30.0C+ Dec temps after 1948, but the latter exceeded 30.0C at least 11 times between 1901 and 1948, the highest being 34.4C in 1905.

And yes, NIWA and MetService do run their networks independently of each other, but are also meant to collaborate with each other and have access to each others data. NIWA was also charged with maintaining all historical records of sites established before they split in 1992, along with any significant MetService sites established since then.

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

, been getting sick of the grey skies of late.

Same down here,another day of 'clagg'
....as Micheal would say, "when's it going to end?"

[Richard]

, been getting sick of the grey skies of late.

Same down here,another day of 'clagg'
....as Micheal would say, "when's it going to end?"

50/50 sunshine here this afternoon though, a few shower doted around the valley, not sure they will develop into anything

[RWood]

, been getting sick of the grey skies of late.

Same down here,another day of 'clagg'
....as Micheal would say, "when's it going to end?"

I'm sick of more cloudiness here in a long term sense - this will be the 3rd year in a row with sunshine significantly below the long term average - and the 6th year in the last 9. I don't think the reduced values are due to instrument deterioration.

What happened to Michael?

[melja]

8mm here today and 6mm yesterday evening, cool, damp dismal weather continues so January must be going to be a cracker if Niwa are anywhere near correct.

Sent from my Redmi Note 4 using Tapatalk

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

Hooray, at last the sun has come out.
First substantial sunshine since last Saturday.
Warm and muggy though. Still lots of cloud around but nothing like you buggers are getting on the latest Thunderstorm thread.

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

No thunder heard or sferics despite the 15000 or so lightning strikes recorded by MS today.
At last the 'clagg' of the past week had cleared away with some sunshine here.
Here are some photos I took today towrds the 4 Peaks/Mt. Peel area this afternoon.

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

Back to the 'clagg' down here again, today

[Razor]

First proper sunny day here in a while!

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

Interesting.
Low cloud and no sunshine all day here. The forecast for here was wrong.
Judging by yesterday's weather, planning to do the lawn today, being expecting the 'clagg' to move away and being sunny which we haven't had much of lately., but it's still here
Saying that the country has been experiencing thunderstorms,constantly listening to the AM band and hearing nothing, makes no relivance here, mind you we did get a good Ts at the beginning of the month, so I can't really complain
News makes where the greater population is

[Chris Raine]

Southland had anticyclonic gloom here today as well with a cool westerly

[melja]

Gorgeous on the west coast

Sent from my Redmi Note 4 using Tapatalk

[jamie]

I’m up to 120mm for the month already. What is more interesting is that we have narrowly missed some big rain too. I would think some places near by would be well over 200mm for the month already.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[RWood]

Interesting.
Low cloud and no sunshine all day here. The forecast for here was wrong.
Judging by yesterday's weather, planning to do the lawn today, being expecting the 'clagg' to move away and being sunny which we haven't had much of lately., but it's still here
Saying that the country has been experiencing thunderstorms,constantly listening to the AM band and hearing nothing, makes no relivance here, mind you we did get a good Ts at the beginning of the month, so I can't really complain
News makes where the greater population is

The older records for Canterbury sites - particularly in the south - show quite a few rather dull Decembers. Here's part of the report for December 1959:

"December 1959: It was cloudy and warm, with an unusually high frequency of northerly to easterly winds. It was a good month for stock, except that in southern and western districts of the North Island and in Nelson it was considered to be too dry, and crops were affected. A small local whirlwind caused some damage at Howick on the 15th.

Rainfall: Rainfall was appreciably below average in the North Island south of Hamilton (except Gisborne) and in Marlborough and North Canterbury. In eastern districts from Christchurch to Napier and in Manawatu it was less than half normal. Parts of southern Wairarapa received only 0.5”. There was much more rain than usual near Whangarei and about the Hauraki Plains-Coromandel area, also over most of Otago and the Gisborne district. Coromandel received more than twice its normal rainfall, with totals up to 12”. There was considerable thunderstorm activity on the 14th, 15th, 29th and 30th, especially in western districts.

Temperatures: Temperatures were above average. Highest departures of 3F-4F were recorded on the West Coast, in Taranaki and in the National Park-Taihape area. In Northland departures were 2F-3F. Elsewhere it was only about 1F warmer than usual.

Sunshine: Sunshine was mainly below average, except in most of Westland. Greatest deficiencies of 50-110 hours were recorded in eastern districts. Hanmer, Ashburton, Timaru, Waimate and Dunedin all had their cloudiest December in over 30 years of observation. The total of 60 hours at Waimate was the lowest ever recorded in New Zealand in a summer month."


In the weather sequence part of the report, it is noted that from the 23rd to the 31st pressures were high to the south and southeast, with a slowmoving trough over the north of the country till the 29th. Persistent fog and low cloud were experienced in coastal Otago and South Canterbury.

[Cyclone Tracy]

Just hit a 20c dew point. Summer has arrived

[Captain Salty]

I'll be glad to see the norwesters return tomorrow. Sick of this claggy soup

[David]

Just hit a 20c dew point. Summer has arrived

Yes, feels like summer for sure. First 25C day of the season for my station.

[spwill]

Classic sea breeze convergence today, some parts of Auckland have a clear sky day while other parts sit under the cloud line with a shower chance.

[NZstorm]

Heavy shower here now after a muggy high of 26C.

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

A day of Anticyclonuc Gloom today, not 'Clagg' as I call it, but with the surface pressure at 1025hPa, which should result as a fine day, usually, the low cloud from the recent events, have remained and covered the whole sky for all of the day.
Talking to someone today in Temuka, said they got sunburnt at Tekapo today, as from Burkes Pass onward it was totally clear skies, but when they returned, the 'clagg' was back again from Burkes Pass to Temuka.

[Dean.]

A day of Anticyclonuc Gloom today, not 'Clagg' as I call it, but with the surface pressure at 1025hPa, which should result as a fine day, usually, the low cloud from the recent events, have remained and covered the whole sky for all of the day.
Talking to someone today in Temuka, said they got sunburnt at Tekapo today, as from Burkes Pass onward it was totally clear skies, but when they returned, the 'clagg' was back again from Burkes Pass to Temuka.

Hence why Tekapo has one of the highest sunshine hours in NZ...this is very normal
Off camping from the 30th onwards near Mt Cook...long range models have the westerlies returning as per Tonys outlook...may have to tie down the tent