Also
Huge temperature difference along the Kaikoura coast (22 degrees),then crossing over to the valleys of North Canterbury when the temp was a stinking hot 33 at Cheviot.
Kaikoura's official temp gauge must be in a good spot .
Very nice place though.
Cheers.
whats the water temperature?
up where, with the black sand we have, the west coast water is no problem to get into, hardly feels cold
(it gets to around 21 to 23oC water temperature)
still a coolish sea breez here yesterday, only 22oC, but inland areas got around 27oC again (and you did not have to go far inland either!)
The water temperature around New Zealand is slightly colder than normal for this time of year. Latest sea surface temperatures show the temp ranging from 13C around Otago to 20C along eastern Northland. Sea temperature out to west of Auckland is around 18C. Inner Hauraki Gulf is 21C.
The water temperature in the inland lakes and rivers though is extremely cold. Lake Wakatipu, Wanaka and Taupo would be below 10C at the surface.
thats probably why the sea breeze is so cooling for us
but, in shore temperatuers here on the west coast will be warmer than that:
becuase of the warm water coming out of the manukau harbour (the water coming in over the mud flats get remarkedly warm, but actualy, water well inside the harbour hardly makes it all the way out to sea before the tide starts to come in again), and the shallower water close to the west coast beach warming quickly too in the sun
strange, only afew months ago the sea surface temperatures were warmer than normal for the time of year...
I read a report on a fishing forum (on Friday 02 January) of 21 degree water out at the 1000 meter mark off the Manukau bar. Interesting to hear that the Albacore were mostly around the 800m mark in slightly cooler water.
The albies have a fairly broad temperature range, especially when they get a bit larger - however they perform way better at high temperatures wrapped in foil on my BBQ
I went for a paddle in the sea at Woodend beach yesterday and the sea was much warmer than what it was 2 weeks ago when I went for a paddle in the same area.
Darfield got to 41.0 on Friday, and 39.7 yesterday, Saturday. The only other site to get above 35 deg on Friday was Woodbury (which got to 36 again) and as far as I can see no other sites got above 35 on Saturday.
Thats the warmest ever recorded in Darfield, and the warmest temperature ever recorded anywhere in New Zealand in the month of January. I think its also on the second day in New Zealand climate history that the temperature has got above 40 deg (the only other being in february 1973 when the famous 42 deg was recorded in Christchurch, Rangiora, and Marlborough.
Interestingly the minimum for Darfield was 10.3, making a diurnal range of 29.7 degrees, which must also be some sort of record.
TonyT wrote:Darfield got to 41.0 on Friday, and 39.7 yesterday, Saturday. The only other site to get above 35 deg on Friday was Woodbury (which got to 36 again) and as far as I can see no other sites got above 35 on Saturday.
Thats the warmest ever recorded in Darfield, and the warmest temperature ever recorded anywhere in New Zealand in the month of January. I think its also on the second day in New Zealand climate history that the temperature has got above 40 deg (the only other being in february 1973 when the famous 42 deg was recorded in Christchurch, Rangiora, and Marlborough.
Interestingly the minimum for Darfield was 10.3, making a diurnal range of 29.7 degrees, which must also be some sort of record.
Where abouts or what site was that temperature recorded in Darfield, Tony?
On the TV last night and Fri, the max was only 36C.
It should be interesting when NIWA's facts and figures come out for Jan
Its also interesting to note that the previous highest temperature recorded at Darfield was 39.4C (during the Feb 1973 event). So that long standing record was smashed on two consecutive days last week. Amazing.
And you are correct Tony, only the second day a temperature of 40C+ has
been officially recorded in NZ.
Temperature records have been maintained at Darfield since 1939.
I would be interested to find out wether the climate enclosure is still in the same position as in 1973.
Sorry, I didn't mean that as such.
I meant that the max and min temps not highlighed properly.
They may show a red 31 for ChCh when it is 36 or 40 as the case may be in Darfield, which should be shown as on TV 3.
Things have certainly changed since 1973. The current station in Darfield (as far as I know) is the one you see near SH73 as you drive into the town. Its a few km east of Darfield I think, about 200m off the SH. Its an automatic station, one of Scott Technicals, set up for fire weather. I think this is the only site in Darfield now, and I think its the one with the 41deg logged in the NIWA database, since its certainly interrogated every day by NRFA, and almost certainly by NIWA too. There may be other manual stations nearby but I dont know of any.
Now, AFAIK, it uses the standard STIL temperature shield, which is the fairly usual pile of upside down white cups. I am 99% sure this is not a ventilated shield. Its well known that high radiation low wind speed days lead to electronic sensors in shields such as these reading too high. I am not sure whether the shields used by Metservice in their auto stations are ventilated or not. Perhaps one of the Metservice employees lurking on this forum could tell us?
So, I have some doubts as to just what the accuracy is. It would be nice to know is NIWA have done any tests on the accuracy of these shields and whether there is any reason to expect the maximum measured by a mercury in glass thermometer in a wooden screen would be any different. Thats how the Feb 73 temps were measured (no electronic sensors in those days).
I think there is some material on the web relating to temperature errors in unventilated sheilds, (I remember reading some to do with Davis Instruments, and their sensors) so if I find anything I will post the links.
davis now have a fan aspirated solar powered radiation shield
becuase of this very problem
with their VP unit
(which is a very good weather station, albeit expensive)
I know. Can you find the references to it Brian and post the links? All I could find was their main sales page, but I know somehwere I have read some tests of the two shields and the errors they induce.
Ofcoarse much of the historical temperature data in NZ was recorded on mercury thermometers, housed in the double louvred timber screen. The screen was positioned on a flat grassed open site. This is quite an accurate way of measuring temperature in any weather conditions.
Perhaps I am also a bit sceptical as to wether data collected on the new electronic sensors can be fairly compared with the old data.
contains a brief analysis based on limited data which suggests the passive shield can be 3-6deg warmer than a ventilated shield under worst case conditions.
