Is It Hot Or Is It Not spell for eastern SI mid Jan

[Weathermad]

Just posted todays top temps on the Weather blog section and Canterbury certainly roasting!

[Gary McConnochie]

I think the sunday I went for a walk and came back drenched in sweat has increased my heat tolerance

If only it were that simple
You'd think after often going running when the temperature is at 20 to 22C I wouldn't feel hot at all on a day like today (max 23.2C here), but no. I dread a day when we get 27C.
It probably doesn't feel repulsively hot down there because of the extremely low humidity...33C temp with 1C dew point at 1pm at Christchurch airport. Only 22 to 23C here but dewpoints around 13C.

Even with very low dew points 33-35 degree temps are still very uncomfortable. Hope it cools down tonight.

[Inny Binny]

Jeff's station had 35C and 10C dewpoints at about 1pm.

I think 33C/1C would still feel a little hotter than 23C/13C anyway.

[TonyT]

..33C temp with 1C dew point at 1pm at Christchurch airport.

Thats an RH of just 13%, probably near record low levels even for Canterbury.

[RWood]

Don't know what the Cant'y record lows would be, but Jordan (Awatere valley) has had RH values down to 6%.

[Razor]

Jeffs dewpoint down to 9.7 now still 32 degrees at 6pm. This is one loong hot summer...sorry farmers

[spwill]

I see Timaru reached a very hot 35C today, I think I'm right in saying it was only 4C there yesteraday at 6am so a very big contrast in under 36 hours.

[Weathermad]

Yes I believe that is correct as was Chch Airport down to 4 degrees yesterday morning and today up to 34.I do see that Dunedin is now just 14 degrees with a chilly SE breeze while Chch is still on 29C at 7.30pm

Looks likely the next 2 days are very warm too in the East.

[jeffsweather]

Today's max of 34.9C just exceeded my previous record of 34.8C recorded on 15th Jan 2005. Looking at the daily averages, today's average, currently on 24.3C is 0.1C below my average daily record of 24.4C on 9th Jan 2004.

Regarding humidity, today's 17% equals my previous low record of 13th Oct 2006 with 27.9C and 0.6C dewpoint. My records for humidity from Jan 2006.

Have to wait and see if any records are broken tomorrow but whatever happens, it looks like its going to be hot.

[Ryan Thomas]

Gotta mow some damn lawns today haha. And I didnt think today was to hot

[melja]

I think you should spend some time outside mate not just 5 mins and then see how you feel cause it dont get much warmer than that.

[Manukau heads obs]

remember that body temperature is 38oC, and so at 34oC, there is not much cooling (although with the low humidity, sweating works very well (but you need to then make sure you keep your liquids up)
I was in 110oF heat in Califonia and Nevada (115oF (46oC) there) once...felt like you could fry an egg on anything outside....the Bus keept on breaking down....was overheating...so the driver had to turn off the air conditioning so we could keep moving!

[Ryan Thomas]

Haha I actually spent all last night outside. When apprently the news said it was 32 I walked round to a friends house and stayed outside for at least 5 hours and it wasn't hot!

[Storm Struck]

The sun was actually quite warm i found as it went down last night.
Apparently it got to 41C in Rangiora yesterday at midday before the NW kicked in and 42C at Loburn, this according to a farmer i was talking to this morning.
Doesnt surprise me my gauge was reading 36.4C in the shade around 1pm, but i usually shave a degree off for accuracy.
Should be another schorcher today when the NW kicks in, currently 27C with a coolish NE.
Cheers
Jason.

[David]

Looking at the drought chart Foggy posted in the unstable and hot thread, found this on the fire weather website:
http://nrfa.fire.org.nz/fire_weather/we ... awData.asp
Check out the fire danger classes in NZ regions, everywhere (almost) has an extreme risk of scrub fire - also Canterbury has an extreme fire risk for all the listed vegetation types.
I think the codes are L=low, M=medium, H=high, E=extreme, and going by colour coding I assume V=very high.
And no significant rain around most parts of the country for a while to come!
Hopefully NZ won't suffer too much from drought.
Not minding our mostly blue sunny skies at all here, no good for any of the farmers though. I'm guessing by now that the majority of the country will be experiencing significant soil moisture deficits (110mm-130mm) with many areas experiencing severe deficits (130mm+).

[TonyT]

Apparently it got to 41C in Rangiora yesterday at midday before the NW kicked in and 42C at Loburn, this according to a farmer i was talking to this morning.

I was in Rangiora from late morning yesterday, and the car thermometer peaked at 35.5, and stayed around 33-34 for most of the afternoon. Warmest here in Amberley was 34.5, late afternoon.

[melja]

Apparently it got to 41C in Rangiora yesterday at midday before the NW kicked in and 42C at Loburn, this according to a farmer i was talking to this morning.

I was in Rangiora from late morning yesterday, and the car thermometer peaked at 35.5, and stayed around 33-34 for most of the afternoon. Warmest here in Amberley was 34.5, late afternoon.

It was around 34c most of the day at my house but did peak at 38c around 6pm when the NW calmed down and this was recorded by both my station and the rangiora airport station
Went for a swim in the waimak at 7pm and still 32c and the water like a bath.

[Storm Struck]

I believe it would be the Rangiora town centre's temperature reading, i am not sure how accurate it is with hot surfaces around of concrete and buildings.
I could imagine 42C in Loburn though before the NW kicked in.
I see Hanmer only clocked up 29C yesterday would have thought they might have fallen close to 40C.
The pesky onshore NE is keeping the temperatures around the mid twenties today, not sure how far the NW is.
Cheers
Jason.

[RWood]

You should bear in mind that even on 7/2/1973 - a most exceptional day - nowhere exceeded 42C (42.4 if you want to be pedantic).

[NZstorm]

What do you think the return period for an official 40C reading in NZ would be RWood?

I suspect it would be over 100 years based on the fact it has only happened once in 150 odd years of weather recording history.

[Dean.]

Higher dewpoints in Canterbury tonight have kept the temperatures from dropping out like last night after the sun set.Still well over 20 degrees after 10pm in inland Canty.Similar tomm before the cooler drier southerly air arrives.

[Ryan Thomas]

Yea its warmer then it was last night, Its to warm to go to sleep without being extremely tired

[Storm Struck]

Yes it is mild out indeed, should get to the early 30's tomorrow before a brief splash of showers on a cooler SW change.
Its obviously not extremly dry in most areas of Canterbury as I havnt heard of any major fires as of yet, I was just waiting for the alarms to go off on Saturday.
I surpose after a few more days over 30C fires will start by themselves or someone will chuck a ciggy out the window of thier car.
I have noticed in some areas of Christchurch there is green grass and nothing brown, I guess that depends on the soil and water table levels below.
Poor old punga's got burnt from yesterdays sun and not just the new growth either.
Cheers
Jason.

[melja]

Yes it is mild out indeed, should get to the early 30's tomorrow before a brief splash of showers on a cooler SW change.
Its obviously not extremly dry in most areas of Canterbury as I havnt heard of any major fires as of yet, I was just waiting for the alarms to go off on Saturday.
I surpose after a few more days over 30C fires will start by themselves or someone will chuck a ciggy out the window of thier car.
I have noticed in some areas of Christchurch there is green grass and nothing brown, I guess that depends on the soil and water table levels below.
Poor old punga's got burnt from yesterdays sun and not just the new growth either.
Cheers
Jason.

Saturday was a very busy day for canterbury fire fighters going by the story on the stuff web site, the rangiora alarm went 4 times saturday and as for being dry take a look at anywere say 20km from the coast the padocks are brown.
I think inland canterbury has the highst fire index you can get.

[NZstorm]

I agree with the Met Service low risk for isolated ts over south Canterbury this evening provided a N'Wester hasn't cleared out the moisture. The cooler upper airmass is coming in late.