General March Weather
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For today's weather discussion head to: New Zealand Weather & Climate
These topics are a read-only archive and may be subject to out-of-date information.
For today's weather discussion head to: New Zealand Weather & Climate
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- NZstorm
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Re: General March Weather
The twister in Hokitika today is the first signs of the autumn/winter tornado season. The dewpoint in Hokitika today was 17C.
Subtropical air feeding down into Tasman Sea troughs is the classic tornado set up for NZ.
Subtropical air feeding down into Tasman Sea troughs is the classic tornado set up for NZ.
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Re: General March Weather
I see,(more apprioprate to this topic rather than my "I see" topic in the off topic section) that this March ending is comparable to March 2002 which has similar dates.
According to my diaries,March 2002 had mild to warm weather until April Fools day when the weather changed and there was a thunderstorm over Chrictchurch and a change to much colder weather.
This looks the same set-up for Wednesday/Thursday depending on the activeness of the trough
According to my diaries,March 2002 had mild to warm weather until April Fools day when the weather changed and there was a thunderstorm over Chrictchurch and a change to much colder weather.
This looks the same set-up for Wednesday/Thursday depending on the activeness of the trough
JohnGaul
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Re: General March Weather
cool about the tornado today
I looked at the rain radar around 9:30am and saw the line of heavy showers off the west coast of the SI and thought they would get good rain...but as NZ storm said...lots of moisture...key ingredient..
I looked at the rain radar around 9:30am and saw the line of heavy showers off the west coast of the SI and thought they would get good rain...but as NZ storm said...lots of moisture...key ingredient..
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Re: General March Weather
Yes. People are more aware these days and with cellphones with cameras in, you can record it, in an instant.Manukau heads obs wrote:cool about the tornado today
Looked similar to the Greymouth tornado, a few years back, (have tolook at the date)
These waterspouts/tornados are unique to the West Coast,not funnelly but messy looking vortexs, moving inland from onshore.
JohnGaul
NZThS
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Re: General March Weather
Average temp (1-minute mean) of 19.0C here for March. The (min+max) mean was 19.3C. Only 0.5C lower than both Jan and Feb, it really was just an extension of summer Only 24mm through the month brought the yearly total to 53mm (averaging 17.7mm per month this year!!)
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Re: General March Weather
We managed 4.0mm early on Sunday morn and another 2.7mm later that night, bringing our March total to 22.4mm (ytd 37.2mm).
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Re: General March Weather
We managed to get to 33.8mm with that 11mm that dropped quickly the other night. Most of our immediate neighbours had nothing or much less so we were very lucky.
Average temp was 17.8C which is exactly the same as Feb was. March aslo had the hottest day of the year for here too with 29.6. Hamilton recorded 32 or 33 that day i think.
Average temp was 17.8C which is exactly the same as Feb was. March aslo had the hottest day of the year for here too with 29.6. Hamilton recorded 32 or 33 that day i think.
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Re: General March Weather
With historical temp data, I like to see the average max/min. The mean temp seems less informative.
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Re: General March Weather
My mean min was 14.4C, and the mean max was 24.3C which is comparable to most Januaries.NZstorm wrote:With historical temp data, I like to see the average max/min. The mean temp seems less informative.
All my max/min/means are on one page. http://howickweather.info/historical.php
I wonder how March 2013 ranks compared to the warmest on record. Looking forward to NIWA summary
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Re: General March Weather
Thanks for the update David. Yes 24.3C max is an interesting number for March.
The long term March average at the airport is 14.9C to 22.5C. In the hot 1998 summer the airport recorded 16.9C-23.4C.
The long term March average at the airport is 14.9C to 22.5C. In the hot 1998 summer the airport recorded 16.9C-23.4C.
- Nev
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Re: General March Weather
Yes, some interesting figures for Hamilton this March. On the 11th Ruakura recorded 32.6C and the airport 30.7C - both of which I think were March records. Average T-maxs were also extraordinary, with Ruakura 4.4C and Hamilton Aero 2.9C above normal.jamie wrote:Average temp was 17.8C which is exactly the same as Feb was. March aslo had the hottest day of the year for here too with 29.6. Hamilton recorded 32 or 33 that day i think.
Below are a few stats of average T-maxs and T-mins (°C) this March for the main-centres…
Code: Select all
March 2013 Ave Ave Ave
Site T-mean Norm T-max Norm T-min Norm Rain Norm
Auckland, Mangere 19.5 +1.0 24.0 +1.6 15.0 +0.4 48.2 56%
Auckland Aero 19.8 +1.0 24.4 +1.8 15.2 +0.3 39.8 53%
Tauranga Aero 19.4 +1.2 24.1 +1.6 14.8 +1.0 20.2 21%
Hamilton Aero 18.5 +1.6 25.8 +2.9 11.2 +0.2 35.7 42%
Hamilton, Ruakura 19.1 +2.0 27.1 +4.4 11.1 +0.3 23.6 30%
Wellington, Kelburn 16.8 +1.0 20.1 +1.0 13.5 +0.9 90.4 106%
Christchurch Aero 16.2 +1.3 21.8 +1.5 10.6 +1.0 19.6 43%
Dunedin, Musselburgh 14.9 +1.2 18.5 +1.2 11.3 +1.1 29.8 47%
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Re: General March Weather
yes, we were the same here for average being 1C up and rain beinmg 50% of normal, compared to Mangere
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Re: General March Weather
When you add the sunshine hrs to those temperatures it was certainly a very nice month if you wanted settled weather. I think Auckland sunshine hrs were around 220hrs.
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Re: General March Weather
Subject to my calculations from the spreadsheet, Mangere reported 224 hours and North Shore 245. Some exceptionally high totals (as in Feb.) from Kapiti to Waitomo. NIWA report out today at 1pm, according to their summaries web page.spwill wrote:When you add the sunshine hrs to those temperatures it was certainly a very nice month if you wanted settled weather. I think Auckland sunshine hrs were around 220hrs.
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Re: General March Weather
There are some impressive figures in the March report.
Gizzy is one that stands a mile out. Over 4 degrees warmer than normal and their average high was also 4 degrees warmer than normal.
Gizzy is one that stands a mile out. Over 4 degrees warmer than normal and their average high was also 4 degrees warmer than normal.
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Re: General March Weather
there summary statements contradicts the detailed
i.e
(as they did have alot of cloudy on shore winds for a while)
i.e
March temperatures were
above average
(0.5°C to 1.2°C above March average)
for most other regions, except
Gisborne
and Marlborough
(near average temperatures
there).
is the gisborne figure correct?Gisborne
21.5
4.1
1905
Highest
(as they did have alot of cloudy on shore winds for a while)
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Re: General March Weather
No it isn't correct. Someone has miscalculated or miscopied. Should be correct in the later stats. report.Manukau heads obs wrote:there summary statements contradicts the detailed
i.eMarch temperatures were
above average
(0.5°C to 1.2°C above March average)
for most other regions, except
Gisborne
and Marlborough
(near average temperatures
there).is the gisborne figure correct?Gisborne
21.5
4.1
1905
Highest
(as they did have alot of cloudy on shore winds for a while)
The dailies for Gisborne AWS give mean Tmax = 23.5C, mean Tmin = 12.6C.
- Nev
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Re: General March Weather
Re the Gisborne mean temps in NIWA's March Summary, i.e. T-max 27.4C, T-min 15.6C, T-mean 21.5C:
They are from a NIWA's Gisborne EWS site (#24976), which has only been taking air-temp and other readings since the end of last Nov. And although only about 6 kms WSW of MS's city/airport site, it looks to be considerably warmer in terms of both averages and extremes. This is also the second month in its four-month history that it has claimed the nation's 'highest-temp' title. The 34.3C it recorded in March was 3.1C warmer than the airport that day, and its 34.5C in Dec was 2.8C warmer.
They are from a NIWA's Gisborne EWS site (#24976), which has only been taking air-temp and other readings since the end of last Nov. And although only about 6 kms WSW of MS's city/airport site, it looks to be considerably warmer in terms of both averages and extremes. This is also the second month in its four-month history that it has claimed the nation's 'highest-temp' title. The 34.3C it recorded in March was 3.1C warmer than the airport that day, and its 34.5C in Dec was 2.8C warmer.
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Re: General March Weather
One might wonder whether some non-climatological influence may be affecting the readings ... I seem to recall a few years ago some publicity for high readings from an EWS (?) at Darfield which later required adjustment.Nev wrote:Re the Gisborne mean temps in NIWA's March Summary, i.e. T-max 27.4C, T-min 15.6C, T-mean 21.5C:
They are from a NIWA's Gisborne EWS site (#24976), which has only been taking air-temp and other readings since the end of last Nov. And although only about 6 kms WSW of MS's city/airport site, it looks to be considerably warmer in terms of both averages and extremes. This is also the second month in its four-month history that it has claimed the nation's 'highest-temp' title. The 34.3C it recorded in March was 3.1C warmer than the airport that day, and its 34.5C in Dec was 2.8C warmer.
The NIWA report clearly confuses the issue as it cites "Gisborne", with records back to 1905, with anomaly values for both mean temperature and mean maximum - as if a site a few months old can even have established normals.
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Re: General March Weather
Hey Rupert, its good to see that you now appreciate that event august institutions like NIWA have not got a handle on the sensitivity of sites to outside influences.
The same arguments about site suitability and records often pass the Met Office by. There seems to be a need to show that we are getting plenty of new 'warm' records.
The same arguments about site suitability and records often pass the Met Office by. There seems to be a need to show that we are getting plenty of new 'warm' records.
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Re: General March Weather
Sounds like a windup Simon! The site is after all quite new, and some checks may be needed. If you read the historical notes as presented in NIWA's CliFLo files there are hundreds of examples of inspection checks and adjustments, repairs or replacements recorded in the histories of both manual and automated sites. If you read the monthly NIWA summaries you will find plenty of comments on new cold records as well as warm ones.Simon Culling wrote:Hey Rupert, its good to see that you now appreciate that event august institutions like NIWA have not got a handle on the sensitivity of sites to outside influences.
The same arguments about site suitability and records often pass the Met Office by. There seems to be a need to show that we are getting plenty of new 'warm' records.
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Re: General March Weather
The (comparatively) new Ashburton Aero site was 1.5C colder than the much older Ashburton Council site in February, however ... which may be perfectly reasonable.melja wrote:Funny how all the new station sites appear to be warmer