NZ Weather Forum

What notable microclimates exist in New Zealand? In particular, are there any that you think might break weather records if a weather station existed there? I'm guessing, for instance, there's some remote spot on the Southern Alps with the highest rainfall, and some spot in Canterbury with the highest temperature.

everywhere really

...you would need to be more specific with a type of weather condition to get a proper answer
eg a micro climate notably consisting of fog -taumarnui/hamilton
or a micro climate of more hot pockets - amuri basin/kawerau /maniatoto

Urban heat Islands are a good example. CBD can end up with a higher mean temperature than the outer suburbs due to effects of concrete and asphalt. Possibly the best example of a micro climate I think.

Maximum rainfall zones in the Alps are likely to be quite decent sized judging by data available so far.

shovelopikis wrote:everywhere really

...you would need to be more specific with a type of weather condition to get a proper answer
eg a micro climate notably consisting of fog -taumarnui/hamilton
or a micro climate of more hot pockets - amuri basin/kawerau /maniatoto

I mean at a more granular level than that, like a suburb or other similarly small area. And by notable, the most interesting/extreme ones.

For instance, in Christchurch, a lot of places that are exposed to the easterly can feel much colder than sheltered places mere metres away. Like I've found the Victoria Park dog park to be chilly most days even at the height of summer. Though I'm not sure if would actually results in any significant difference in the average air temperature as a weather station would record, as opposed to just the wind chill perception.

Cracroft is a vineyard in Christchurch at the foot of the Port Hills that claims to have a micro-climate as a result of it being sheltered on three sides but fully exposed to the nor'west. Though again, I wonder if a hypothetical weather station there would record any significant differences.

I live in Cracroft, we get plenty of NE

This area of the Clarence river does get extreme temps because its close to sea level,gets little wind as the tall mountains both sides that stop the cooling sea breeze.

https://www.google.co.nz/maps/@-42.0144 ... !1e3?hl=en

The cold SWer never stops blowing at Michael's house.

Definately along the West Coast here.. you can have 20mm of rain here in Greymouth yet go north about 20km and inland just a couple, you'll tip out hundreds of mm.. topography here baffles me.

There is the Northwester that can be quite blowy/windy here but in Christchurch, it be quite calm

Paekakariki. Our climate is 100% orographic here, so we see some pretty rough stuff and heavy rainfall at times with all the uplift. We don't have the sheltering either. Paraparaumu just 10 km's away has a different climate to ours.

Not particlarly notable in any way, but one to add to the mix that I have observed over the years in Wellington.

I live out past the Airport in Strathmore (Miramar Penninsula) and there are many "northerly wind" days where the Miramar Pennisula and other southern suburbs (Lyall Bay, Island Bay) are in the sunshine (with passing clouds), yet the nothern hill suburbs (Karori, J'ville, Newlands etc) are clagged-in with misty cloud all day. Would be very interesting to see if there is any sunshine hour stats available to show the variations I reckon there would be between the 2 areas that are not that far apart.

Banks Peninsula provides a minor rainshadow effect. I've travelled between Chch and Akaroa, with drizzly weather in a northeasterly flow affecting both places, but a window of dry (sometimes sunny) conditions in the area between Motukarara and Birdlings Flat to the southwest of the peninsula.
Similar in a southeasterly flow, with Chch is sheltered somewhat, eg in situations where there's only light or moderate rain in the city, but heavy falls elsewhere in Canterbury.

Also Wanganui in a NE flow,it can be blowing everywhere then even just into the manawatu but the Wanganui district hardly ever gets a true NE.

tich wrote:Banks Peninsula provides a minor rainshadow effect. I've travelled between Chch and Akaroa, with drizzly weather in a northeasterly flow affecting both places, but a window of dry (sometimes sunny) conditions in the area between Motukarara and Birdlings Flat to the southwest of the peninsula.
Similar in a southeasterly flow, with Chch is sheltered somewhat, eg in situations where there's only light or moderate rain in the city, but heavy falls elsewhere in Canterbury.

Yes. There is what I call the "NE Kink", more so in summer when Christchurch is shrouded in cloud but looking towards Halswell/Tai Tapu/Birdlings Flat area, there is clear sunny skies.

BeaconHill wrote:Not particlarly notable in any way, but one to add to the mix that I have observed over the years in Wellington.

I live out past the Airport in Strathmore (Miramar Penninsula) and there are many "northerly wind" days where the Miramar Pennisula and other southern suburbs (Lyall Bay, Island Bay) are in the sunshine (with passing clouds), yet the nothern hill suburbs (Karori, J'ville, Newlands etc) are clagged-in with misty cloud all day. Would be very interesting to see if there is any sunshine hour stats available to show the variations I reckon there would be between the 2 areas that are not that far apart.

I grew up there. Lovely place, most of my family still live in Miramar/ Seatoun. My grandfather John Murray (passed away in May this year) worked the Beacon Hill signal station for many years. I'm still a regular visitor.

Completely agree on the Wellington climatic range there

I find that Upper Hutt is quite often neglected, as a city on the weather news.
It has a climate different from Wellington, and quite often a cold southerly from Wellington/Petone area is a not so much of an influenc up there as the hills deflect any such away from that area.
In summer UH can be 26C whilst Wellington maybe only 19C or 20C.

Wellington area has an interesting climate the way the wind getsup then abates as abruptly,the difference of north of porirua to the cbd in various windflows,the valleys can get hot in summer.

BeaconHill wrote:Not particlarly notable in any way, but one to add to the mix that I have observed over the years in Wellington.

I live out past the Airport in Strathmore (Miramar Penninsula) and there are many "northerly wind" days where the Miramar Pennisula and other southern suburbs (Lyall Bay, Island Bay) are in the sunshine (with passing clouds), yet the nothern hill suburbs (Karori, J'ville, Newlands etc) are clagged-in with misty cloud all day. Would be very interesting to see if there is any sunshine hour stats available to show the variations I reckon there would be between the 2 areas that are not that far apart.

No data from there unfortunately. However I think those areas would be 50-100 hrs per year sunnier than Kelburn (which is intermediate in that regard). Karori is a large suburb and even within its boundaries, there is an east-west variance to some degree.

NZ Thunderstorm Soc wrote:I find that Upper Hutt is quite often neglected, as a city on the weather news.
It has a climate different from Wellington, and quite often a cold southerly from Wellington/Petone area is a not so much of an influenc up there as the hills deflect any such away from that area.
In summer UH can be 26C whilst Wellington maybe only 19C or 20C.

It's true that UH doesn't get much of a southerly but the fact remains that as you go north up the valley, rainfall increases and sunshine decreases.

In southerlies do northern suburbs like Johnsonville, etc get only partly cloudy weather while Lyall Bay gets really slammed?

wembley wrote:In southerlies do northern suburbs like Johnsonville, etc get only partly cloudy weather while Lyall Bay gets really slammed?

You generally need to go further north to escape the effects of a Southerly. In a lighter southerly with misty showers, often it will be a stunning day once you get north of about Tawa/Porirua. But J'ville will be in the clouds. And as NZ Thunderstorm Soc mentioned, Upper Hutt can be quite sheltered in a light southerly too.

In a strong southerly - there is no escaping it in Wellington

Often ignored especially by those on the K Coast is what often happens in flows between W and SW, when Wgton city can get a sunny day, but from the northern suburbs northward and on the KC cloudy conditions occur even with drizzle or showers. Last Sunday pm was an example. Northern here means north of a line abt Petone Jville or Porirua.