December Weather Summary

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jrj
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December Weather Summary

Unread post by jrj »

Summary of the December rainfall and temperature readings, as recorded at my weather station in Havelock North.

Total rainfall: 71.6mm (on 9 days)
Maximum 24hr total: 22.0mm (on the 29th)
Total from 1 January: 870.9mm (on 139 days)
Average annual rainfall: 775mm

Maximum temperature: 32.5ºC (on the 14th)
Minimum temperature: 6.6ºC (on the 18th)
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Summary of the year's rainfall and temperature:

Wettest month: August (212.3mm)
Most rainy days: August (21)
Wettest day: 23 August (60.4mm)

Driest month: January (17mm)
Least rainy days: February (7)

Hottest day: 14 December (32.5ºC)
Coldest day: 7 July (-3.2ºC)
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TonyT
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Unread post by TonyT »

A curio for those statistically minded:

Total rainfall for Christchurch Botanic Gardens for December is 1.0mm, comprising 0.2mm on the 20th, 0.4mm on the 23rd, and 0.4mm on the 29th.

This just makes it the driest December on record, the previous driest was 1.1mm in 1934. It also ties the record for the second driest month ever, February 1902 also had only 1mm, while the driest ever month was January 1871 with 0.8mm.

The Christchurch record goes back to 1864.

We are checking, but we believe there are some stations in Canterbury with no rain recorded for the month.
tich
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Unread post by tich »

We are checking, but we believe there are some stations in Canterbury with no rain recorded for the month.
You probably didn't get the driest December on record at Amberley, with that thunderstorm you had a few days ago.
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TonyT
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Unread post by TonyT »

We believe Christchurch Airport also totalled 1mm, Winchmore 0.6mm, Le Bons Bay 2.6mm, Rangiora 3.6mm, and Darfield 4.8mm for the month. It would take a while to confirm, but they are very likely the driest December on record for each of those sites, and very possibly the driest month ever. The rest of the sites which send daily data into the National Climate Database got at least 6mm, but many were under 10mm for the month.

We had about 5mm in Amberley with the TS the other day. The driest month in Amberley in recent times was July 1993 with 1.1mm.
jeffsweather
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Unread post by jeffsweather »

I've had the driest month at 2mm for December at my station since I set it up in 2000.
Looking back on my records, Feb, March and April 2001 were dry months with 5.5mm, 5.8mm and 4.5mm respectivly.

Looking at the noon totals for December , Christchurch airport had 3mm and Le bons Bay had 6mm. no doubt we have to wait for the official figures.
Skywatcher
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Unread post by Skywatcher »

Happy New Year everyone !

Here's the summary of recordings for my station in Templeton - very dry as you can see.

Total rain: 1.6 mm (on 2 days)
Maximum 24hr: 0.8 mm on 23rd

Maximum temperature: 30.3ºC on 14th
Minimum temperature: 5.8ºC on 31st
Average temperature: 16.2ºC

Summary for the year:

Total rain: 455.6 mm on 99 days
Wettest month: September 76.6 mm
Most rainy days: August (12)
Wettest day: 7th April and 12th October 26.6 mm

Driest month: December (1.6 mm)
Least rainy days: December (2)

Highest temperature: 31.2ºC on 11th February
Lowest temperature: -4.9ºC on 13th July

Cheers,
Steven
Manukau heads obs
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Unread post by Manukau heads obs »

My long winded one :)
plenty of rain, real green here, grass coming out my ears!

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Averages\Extremes for the month of December 2003
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Average temperature = 17.2 °C; diff from climate av: -0.3 °C
Average humidity = 87 %
Average dewpoint = 14.9 °C
Average barometer = 1015.8 mb
Average windspeed = 10.4 kts; diff from climate av. :+2.9 kts
Average gustspeed = 10.8 kts
Average direction = 201 ° (SSW)
Rainfall for month = 89.4 mm; diff from climate av. :-0.6 mm
Rainfall for year = 1316.8 mm; diff from climate av. :+881.8 mm
Maximum rain per minute = 4.6 mm on day 10 at time 14:08
Maximum temperature = 25.4 °C on day 12 at time 13:31
Minimum temperature = 7.4 °C on day 01 at time 05:43
Maximum humidity = 100 % on day 29 at time 14:32
Minimum humidity = 55 % on day 17 at time 10:58
Maximum pressure = 1025.9 mb on day 03 at time 23:35
Minimum pressure = 1003.1 mb on day 24 at time 03:41
Maximum windspeed = 29.0 kts from 312 °( NW) on day 23 at time 04:46
Maximum gust speed = 36.0 kts from 297 °(WNW) on day 24 at time 09:58
Maximum heat index = 26.6 °C on day 12 at time 13:28
Max soil temperature= 25.2 °C
Min soil temperature= 22.2 °C
4.4 mm on day 6
0.4 mm on day 7
5.6 mm on day 8
28.6 mm on day 9
19.0 mm on day 10
2.0 mm on day 11
3.2 mm on day 14
0.4 mm on day 15
3.4 mm on day 21
0.8 mm on day 22
8.2 mm on day 23
1.0 mm on day 24
0.8 mm on day 25
14.8 mm on day 28
6.6 mm on day 29
0.4 mm on day 30

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Averages\Extremes for day :December 2003
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Day Temp Wind Gust Rain Max Temp Min Temp Av Hum Av Baro Av Dir Wind run
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01 13.9°C 06.3kts 16.0kts 00.0mm 17.9°C 07.4°C 84% 1024.2hPa 220 ° ( SW) 147.0kts
02 15.6°C 10.0kts 17.0kts 00.0mm 18.3°C 13.7°C 80% 1022.0hPa 221 ° ( SW) 236.4kts
03 16.7°C 08.4kts 18.0kts 00.0mm 19.1°C 14.4°C 88% 1024.4hPa 216 ° ( SW) 197.8kts
04 15.8°C 05.7kts 18.0kts 00.0mm 20.2°C 09.8°C 90% 1022.7hPa 225 ° ( SW) 133.6kts
05 16.9°C 04.8kts 16.0kts 00.0mm 21.5°C 10.9°C 87% 1018.1hPa 282 ° (WNW) 102.8kts
06 18.0°C 16.1kts 34.0kts 04.4mm 22.7°C 15.5°C 90% 1015.3hPa 296 ° (WNW) 273.8kts
07 15.1°C 06.9kts 17.0kts 00.4mm 18.7°C 10.4°C 91% 1018.8hPa 210 ° (SSW) 162.5kts
08 17.5°C 04.0kts 17.0kts 05.6mm 21.1°C 16.3°C 93% 1018.0hPa 029 ° (NNE) 93.5kts
09 18.4°C 05.7kts 21.0kts 28.6mm 20.5°C 17.2°C 98% 1012.9hPa 299 ° (WNW) 133.2kts
10 18.4°C 08.1kts 31.0kts 28.6mm 19.8°C 17.8°C 99% 1012.4hPa 297 ° (WNW) 209.5kts
11 20.3°C 04.7kts 16.0kts 02.0mm 23.3°C 17.1°C 95% 1017.4hPa 277 ° ( W ) 111.1kts
12 21.2°C 03.0kts 13.0kts 00.0mm 25.4°C 18.8°C 92% 1020.6hPa 314 ° ( NW) 69.7kts
13 20.8°C 07.7kts 19.0kts 00.0mm 24.0°C 17.9°C 88% 1018.9hPa 285 ° (WNW) 180.4kts
14 19.1°C 13.3kts 29.0kts 03.2mm 23.7°C 15.0°C 94% 1014.4hPa 282 ° (WNW) 311.3kts
15 16.3°C 13.1kts 27.0kts 00.4mm 19.3°C 13.9°C 76% 1014.5hPa 224 ° ( SW) 300.0kts
16 15.4°C 15.0kts 27.0kts 00.0mm 18.6°C 11.9°C 77% 1017.5hPa 190 ° ( S ) 351.9kts
17 14.1°C 05.0kts 18.0kts 00.0mm 18.6°C 08.3°C 79% 1022.4hPa 187 ° ( S ) 118.4kts
18 16.3°C 12.5kts 22.0kts 00.0mm 19.1°C 14.8°C 78% 1017.1hPa 213 ° (SSW) 294.8kts
19 16.2°C 06.4kts 15.0kts 00.0mm 19.5°C 11.9°C 86% 1016.2hPa 264 ° ( W ) 150.2kts
20 17.8°C 12.8kts 24.0kts 00.0mm 21.3°C 16.0°C 78% 1014.8hPa 291 ° (WNW) 286.4kts
21 17.8°C 20.7kts 34.0kts 03.4mm 19.9°C 16.6°C 93% 1010.9hPa 299 ° (WNW) 468.8kts
22 17.6°C 08.9kts 25.0kts 00.8mm 20.4°C 15.7°C 90% 1012.4hPa 263 ° ( W ) 209.6kts
23 19.6°C 17.6kts 35.0kts 08.2mm 22.7°C 17.8°C 89% 1010.4hPa 301 ° (WNW) 414.7kts
24 17.4°C 17.5kts 36.0kts 01.0mm 20.4°C 14.3°C 83% 1005.0hPa 279 ° ( W ) 414.1kts
25 16.3°C 18.0kts 28.0kts 00.8mm 18.8°C 14.2°C 80% 1006.5hPa 266 ° ( W ) 425.3kts
26 18.5°C 18.0kts 26.0kts 00.0mm 19.5°C 17.1°C 77% 1008.9hPa 277 ° ( W ) 50.7kts
27 18.9°C 13.1kts 30.0kts 00.0mm 22.4°C 14.9°C 89% 1013.3hPa 297 ° (WNW) 309.6kts
28 19.2°C 12.2kts 35.0kts 14.8mm 23.2°C 15.7°C 88% 1011.3hPa 296 ° (WNW) 261.2kts
29 14.2°C 09.5kts 26.0kts 06.6mm 16.1°C 12.8°C 91% 1010.3hPa 210 ° (SSW) 223.9kts
30 15.9°C 16.3kts 29.0kts 00.4mm 18.3°C 14.2°C 75% 1014.1hPa 212 ° (SSW) 375.5kts
31 16.5°C 08.9kts 19.0kts 00.0mm 19.5°C 13.6°C 82% 1018.3hPa 215 ° ( SW) 210.5kts
Avg daily max temp :20.4 °C
Avg daily min temp :14.4 °C
Growing degrees days :27.5 °C
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Brian Hamilton, weather enthusiast. My weather dataEmail: [email protected]
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NZstorm
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Unread post by NZstorm »

From the NZ herald. December rainfall totals. Average rainfall in brackets.

Rotorua 224mm (114mm)
Hamilton 158mm (104mm)
New Plymouth 159mm (102mm)
Gisborne 101mm (64mm)
Toupo 135mm (100mm)
Whangarei 31mm (94mm)
Auckland 85mm (85mm)
Chris Raine
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Unread post by Chris Raine »

I had 55.1 mm in Invercargill for December,considering we are exposed to the westerlies that is well down on what is expected. Last night's front gave only 0.8mm.Starting to dry out now. Max temp for me yesterday was 28.6 degrees the warmest day fo the year too.

Happy New Year to everyone
Manukau heads obs
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Unread post by Manukau heads obs »

topsy turvy weather!
you guys got a hot day in the far south, and we had a left over cold SWer to deal with in the north here!
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Brian Hamilton, weather enthusiast. My weather dataEmail: [email protected]
Andy
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Unread post by Andy »

Alexandra summary for Dec

Total rainfall: 3 mm

Maximum temperature: 33.6ºC (on the 17th)
Minimum temperature: 4.0ºC (on the 17th

Average Maximum temperature: 25.3ºC
Average Minimum temperature: 9.9ºC
Mean temperature: 17.6

Growing degree days: 223.5

7 days with temps above 30ºC

Very dry here as well with a total fire ban and extrem conditions!

Andy :)
jeffsweather
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Unread post by jeffsweather »

Summary from my station in Hillmorton:
Temperature
Mean: 16.5 °C
Mean Maximum: 23.3 °C
Mean Minimum: 10.9 °C
Maximum High: 30.2 °C on the 14th
Maximum Low: 14.3 °C on the 14th
Minimum High: 15.3 °C on the 10th
Minimum Low: 6.1 °C on the 17th

Wind Speed and Direction
Maximum Gust: 59 km/h, Nor'west on the 14th
Average 7.9 km/h
Wind Run 6129 km
Max Daily Windrun 329 km, North East on the 23rd
Prevailing Direction, North East

Rainfall
Days with Measured Rainfall 1 on the 23rd
Max Daily Rainfall 2.0 mm
Monthly Rainfall 2.0 mm
About 3 days where there were a few drops but no enough to tip the rain gauge.

In comparison to Dec 2002, 2003 was:
Warmer, mean in Dec 2002: 16.3C
Very close max temp, Dec 2002: 30.4C
Slightly less windy, wind run Dec 2002: 6507km
Much drier, Dec 2002: 33mm.
Fujita Phil
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Unread post by Fujita Phil »

Dunedin's December

Temperature

Max High - 29C - 1st
Min High - 11.4 - 10th
Max Low - 16.5C -1st
Max Low - 6.7C - 17th

Wind

Max Gust - 49kph from SE - 23rd

Rainfall

Number of days with Measured Rainfall - 8 days
Max Rainfall in one day - 17mm - 28th (this was the recent TS Sunday)
Total for the month - 34mm

Total Rainfall for the year - 556mm (but I also had a couple of power interruptions so this amount will most likely be on the low side)

Happy New Year and exciting Weather Events for all in 2004.
There is no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothes.
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