NZ Weather Forum

As of 2pm on Monday 25th August I've recorded 76mm of rain in the previous 24 hours. Does this look like a reasonable figure for West Melton (half way down a line from West Melton to Rolleston) 25km west of Christchurch?

Anyone with an overpowering sense of curiosity can see the raw data here http://gilks.ath.cx/cacti/graph_view.ph ... first=true

I've a feeling I'm seeing about double that I should be from my LaCrosse 2350 weather station!

Hi Robin

looks like it could be consistent with some of the ECan recordings today.

http://www.ecan.govt.nz/Our+Environment ... -table.htm

I see an article on stuff regarding heavy rain in Canterbury.
So Id suggest your 75mm of rain thereabouts would be bang on.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4668037a11.html

Hi Robin.
At my site in West Melton (2kms SE) I have recorded 39.3mm of rain to 4pm today

JohnGaul
NZTS

Thanks John

Looks like I peaked at 77mm at about 1pm today for the 24 hour reading but its dropping apart from the burst I drove home through just before 6pm.

Guess I'll have to get a cheap $2 shop manual plastic job by the side of the electronic one and see if I am seeing double or not.

I've been made suspicious by the fact that my old weather station (a WS2310 damaged by a nearby lightning strike) had a 0.5mm minimum reading but this one seems to be 1mm even though the 'tipping' rain gauge sensor looks the same.

Cheers

I've seen commercial rain gauges I used to service that went faulty and read double consistantly. It was caused by a faulty reed switch. Don't know if these cheaper ones can have the reed switches replaced easily or not though.

Good luck.

(Farnell had a reasonable range to choose from)

when getting a manual gauge to compare, get one with a similar sized collection area

tgsnoopy wrote:I've seen commercial rain gauges I used to service that went faulty and read double consistantly. It was caused by a faulty reed switch.

I think you are right - in fact it has died totally now (nothing recorded for 5 hours but it has not stopped raining). First thing in the morning I'll be fitting the old 'tipper' since it was the remote data collector that died, the rain gauge plugin is still in fine shape and I can hear the reed switch tick when I waggle it about

Turns out the lack of reading was dust and dirt plugging the bottom of the funnel. I've changed sensors anyway so I can check the reed switch of the iffy one with a scope and see if the old one is any better (and if it ain't broke, I won't be fixing it!!).