Record heat spell, March 16-20th

Willoughby · Unread post by **Willoughby** » Sun 16/03/2008 05:44

Ex-Sub tropic low to the east set to direct a swathe of warm air over the North Island today... 850mb temps not too extreme with 14C progged over Hamilton... but the faint southerly winds and basin effect should get the temperature right up there, 29C possible and may nudge 30C here in Hamilton.

Rwood, have you got any March temperature records on hand?

RWood · Unread post by **RWood** » Sun 16/03/2008 08:38

I didn't have any for the Hamilton area offhand. But it was fairly easy to get from Cliflo - select stat. 06 (extreme max. temp in the monthly/annual group) and select stations under "Hamilton" and "Ruakura". Downloading all those gave a value of 29.4C in March 1908 (Ruakura). One of the EWSs had 28.5C in March 1998, and 28.3C last year.

Vertigo · Unread post by **Vertigo** » Sun 16/03/2008 09:09

That airmass doesnt look like itll flow anywhere near the NI, at least without losing some heat.

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Sun 16/03/2008 11:02

Looks like South Island will be the place for heat next week although a coastal NE breeze will keep coastal temps down.

Michael · Unread post by **Michael** » Sun 16/03/2008 12:23

No heat here today only 20Â°

Willoughby · Unread post by **Willoughby** » Sun 16/03/2008 16:41

Up to 28.8C here at 3.57pm

, cooled down a bit to 28.3C now. Thanks Rwood, I wonder what Ruakura is recording right now.. but I bet the record must be pretty close to being tipped!

Vertigo wrote:That airmass doesnt look like itll flow anywhere near the NI, at least without losing some heat.

It's directing the flow and upper air southerlies from the warm cored system... much like a typical situation we would get in mid winter. Low to the NE of Gisborne directs abnormally warm sub-tropical air over the upper North Island and gets us those balmy 18C days out of the blue.

Was in Rotorua earlier this morning shivering like anything in the forest.. how times change!

tich · Unread post by **tich** » Sun 16/03/2008 17:03

Definitely not warm in Chch today, thanks to persistent cloudiness and a dying southerly. 16.8C max at Hillmorton.

RWood · Unread post by **RWood** » Sun 16/03/2008 17:26

Cold wind here, as anyone watching the cricket knows. Should be warmer for NZ's death throes tomorrow.

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Sun 16/03/2008 17:35

We had a SW breeze here today but still managed 24C.

Willoughby · Unread post by **Willoughby** » Sun 16/03/2008 17:59

Yep! Looks like a new March record here! Hamilton Airport reporting 30C at 5pm.. so they got hotter than here in the city.

npfield · Unread post by **npfield** » Sun 16/03/2008 18:09

phew yeah its really hot, just been playing some tennis out in the sun, not a cloud around, great post summer weather!

jamie · Unread post by **jamie** » Sun 16/03/2008 19:00

When is 1 news going to change their weather. Jim said earlyer on that hamilton reached 30 a couple of hours ago but then in the full report the graphics said 29 and he said 29 but doesnt state that is was actually 30. How silly and confusing.

Willoughby · Unread post by **Willoughby** » Tue 18/03/2008 00:17

Scorching March day

Hamilton has recorded its hottest March day in more than 100 years.

The mercury hit 29.5C in Hamilton yesterday, topping Niwa records for March kept since 1907.

Jim Salinger, principal climate scientist at the national climate centre, said hot weather was not unusual in March, but yesterday's record was due to unusually warm southeasterlies.

And the fine weather is set to continue, with the temperature forecast to rise to 27 tomorrow, and to continue for most of the week.

The long-range forecast for Easter is for more fine weather over the North Island.

Hamilton also continues to be the driest Metservice station, with just 60.2mm of rain this year, compared with an average rainfall of 199mm.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikatotimes/4442545a6579.html

Myself · Unread post by **Myself** » Tue 18/03/2008 17:33

Hot temperatures recorded today, several over 30C. Think 32C will be the absolute max down south.

tgsnoopy · Unread post by **tgsnoopy** » Tue 18/03/2008 17:54

Myself wrote:Hot temperatures recorded today, several over 30C. Think 32C will be the absolute max down south.

Could you please fill in your location field in your profile. It is a requirement so when you say here, we know where that is. Thanks

Myself · Unread post by **Myself** » Tue 18/03/2008 18:40

tgsnoopy wrote:
Myself wrote:Hot temperatures recorded today, several over 30C. Think 32C will be the absolute max down south.
Could you please fill in your location field in your profile. It is a requirement so when you say here, we know where that is. Thanks

I'm in Wellington. Definitely did not hit 30C here! But stations in Otago certainly did.

RWood · Unread post by **RWood** » Tue 18/03/2008 20:19

It was about 23C "here", a well-nigh perfect day.

Myself · Unread post by **Myself** » Tue 18/03/2008 21:01

RWood wrote:It was about 23C "here", a well-nigh perfect day.

Yes, 23C will do just fine thanks.

Storm Struck · Unread post by **Storm Struck** » Tue 18/03/2008 21:03

Sure was warm today, I was working in a valley above Summner shelterd from the NE sea breeze only wee light puffs every now and then.
Would have been atleast 28C up there, looks like another warm one tomorrow maybe even a little hotter.
Interesting to note a rather heavy shower has been showing up just off id say Gore bay in the last few hours, also a few other showers offshore now too and i think they may come onshore.
Cheers
Jason.

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Tue 18/03/2008 21:17

The heavier precip on the Canterbury radar is a bit of a puzzle.

TonyT · Unread post by **TonyT** » Tue 18/03/2008 22:00

Based on what I can see out the window its probably fog. It was foggy along the coast here this morning, and again for a while in the afternoon, although clear from about 1km inland.

NZ Thunderstorm Soc · Tue 18/03/2008 23:29

Should be a scorcher tomorrow.

JohnGaul
NZTS

gllitz · Unread post by **gllitz** » Wed 19/03/2008 07:37

TonyT wrote:Based on what I can see out the window its probably fog. It was foggy along the coast here this morning, and again for a while in the afternoon, although clear from about 1km inland.

yeah, I was a bit confused by the radar as well....the fog going home last night (5:30 pm) was pretty impressive, but didn't last very long and seemed pretty isolated near the coast and quickly dissipated.

NZstorm · Unread post by **NZstorm** » Wed 19/03/2008 08:37

Also I think the big temperature inversion off the surface could be interfering with the radar returns but I could be wrong, it might just be the fog.

Weather Watcher · Unread post by **Weather Watcher** » Wed 19/03/2008 10:26

NZStorm is correct. The heavy 'precip' showing on the Canterbury radar last evening north of Banks Peninsula were anomalous propagation (AP) echoes, often called 'ducting' echoes. This happens when the radar beam is bent back towards the ground by a strong inversion just above the surface. This generally happens when the low-level air below the inversion is warm and moist, and the air above the inversion is very dry. Yesterday we had a warm moist shallow easterly at the surface, and good dry northwesterly aloft (above about 800 metres from memory). In this situation, the radar beam is getting bent down and hitting the sea. It is these strong reflections off the sea that were showing on the radar image yesterday. These AP echoes are very difficult to remove from radar images.

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