General March Weather

[NZstorm]

A very traditional looking thunderstorm set up over South Canterbury later Saturday with 700mb temps down to -8C. Last time we saw air that cold over NZ was November.

Yes. I'll be around to keep an eye on this, but I have a do to go to in Rakaia tomorrow night.

Yesterdays gfs run was showing a NE. Todays model not showing that. There needs to be onshore flow to get the moisture convergence.


On another topic, I have heard NIWA are forecasting a warm autumn for NZ with wet conditions in the north. I am not convinced about wet conditions in the north, could easily remain quite ridgey. But I am hoping the polar jet stream gets into the Tasman in May as that is a great recipe for Thunderstorms over the west of the NI. April tends to be too early for the polar jet getting this far north.

[Orion]

About 1pm a little brisk southerly whisked through here, bringing a great smell of the sea and bits of shreddy white low cloud travelling in different directions at different levels.
Still sunny, and a gusty wind.

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

Yes. I'll be around to keep an eye on this, but I have a do to go to in Rakaia tomorrow night.

Yesterdays gfs run was showing a NE. Todays model not showing that. There needs to be onshore flow to get the moisture convergence.

Your right. Turned NW and warmed up before the southerly went through, so I have flagged this one away for today, I'm sad to say

[NZ Thunderstorm Soc]

A couple of lightning strikes were recorded near Oamaru from what I was told and the wind has gone back to a light NE here, so there could be some hope but I'm not too optimistic
All out to sea, now, just annoying low cloud here hindering view of anything higher up.

[Nev]

The first month of autumn was another very warm month; fairly wet and cloudy in Northland, central NZ and Otago, but otherwise sunny for most other parts.

Mar 2018 Climate Anomaly Maps ℅ NIWA.gif

Some very preliminary March 2018 figures for the main centres:

Code: Select all

Mar 2018 Average Temps, Rainfall, Sunshine and departures from 1981-2010 normals ℅ NIWA

Site                     T-max °C      T-min °C      T-mean °C     Rain mm      Sun hrs

Auckland, Mangere       24.1  +1.7    15.8  +1.2    19.9  +1.4     75   88%    190  100%
Auckland Aero           23.9  +1.3    15.9  +1.0    19.9  +1.1     56   75%
Tauranga Aero           23.7  +1.2    16.1  +2.3    19.9  +1.7     85   87%    n/a   n/a
Hamilton Aero           23.9  +1.0    12.8  +1.8    18.3  +1.4     60   71%
Hamilton, Ruakura       25.1  +2.4    13.0  +1.6    19.0  +1.9     51   63%    189   97%
Wellington, Kelburn     20.2  +1.1    14.1  +1.5    17.1  +1.3     98  115%    174   85%
Christchurch Aero       21.3  +1.0    10.3  +0.7    15.8  +0.9     31   69%    178   93%
Dunedin, Musselburgh    18.8  +1.5    11.9  +1.7    15.3  +1.6     42   65%    184  127%
Greymouth Aero          20.1  +1.2    13.1  +2.1    16.6  +1.7    156   88%    169  105%

Note that although rainfall was below normal in south Auckland, it was more normal in other parts.

[spwill]

Auckland just shy of 4 consecutive months with a mean temperature of 20C or above, Dec - Feb had above 20C mean temperatures.