Secret weather stations? :)

Thunder · Unread post by **Thunder** » Thu 09/12/2004 11:34

I've been looking and found various sations I didn't know were there. Generally most of them seem to be in working order, do you guy's know of other secret weather stations out there? Of course they're not that secret as I found them but would be good to know if you guy's know of any others?

For e.g. When TV ONE does one of their claims about how the highest temp was recorded in Culverdon or Darfield etc, where do they get that info. And is it one the net? Maybe for Darfield they get it from the station that I mention below?

Here's a few I've found:

Darfield weather station: http://weather.selwyn.govt.nz/DRF/
Hamner weather station: http://www.wunderground.com/weatherstat ... =ICANTERB4

For the Hamner one you can actually go to here which is from a Hamner Horses website: http://hanmerhorses.dyndns.info:1551/weather.html

Arthurs Pass weather station: http://www.wunderground.com/weatherstat ... =ICANTERB3

There's also a link on the page which shows where the data comes from. I think I've actualy seen this station before on the web.

Lincoln Library weather station: http://weather.selwyn.govt.nz/LCN/index.php

Leeston weather Station: http://weather.selwyn.govt.nz/LSN/

Cheviot weather station: http://www.wunderground.com/weatherstat ... =ICANTERB3

Above comes from: http://www.demaroussem.net.nz/

So what others are out there? Above stuff is great, especially the Hamner and Darfield stations as people may know I keep wondering what the inland temp and dewpoint is like.

It would be good if there were perhaps a west coast one. You can go into wunderground.com and type in NZHK to get Hokitika and there's another for Farewell Spit, Westport and Hast but no history. Surely these are coming from a website somewhere. Which ones?

Any other sites out there anyone know's of in the Canterbury region?

Thunder · Unread post by **Thunder** » Thu 09/12/2004 12:12

Just found this one from telecom:

http://toolbox.farmside.co.nz/climate/r ... sp?PID=150

Not very good but shows temps. The Raikia one is out at the moment though.

Skywatcher · Unread post by **Skywatcher** » Thu 09/12/2004 12:32

I'm surprised you didn't know about the Selwyn DC's stations - I think I found it from Jeff's links page

This link has the three they run that you've mentioned plus Arthur's Pass: http://weather.selwyn.govt.nz/

Jeff also has links for one at Rangiora and the Dept of Geography at Uni of Canty.

There was one at Birdlings Flat that I found recently run by (I think) the Dept of Physics but I can't find it now

I think I mentioned this Lyttelton site before ? http://maybros.d2g.com/weather/

Thunder · Unread post by **Thunder** » Thu 09/12/2004 13:02

I had actually been on their site before becasue they have a link to the NZTS website on one of their pages, this one:

http://weather.selwyn.govt.nz/links.php

I didn't relise they had those other stations though!

Also, they have that link for the Birdlings Flat weather station!:

http://www2.phys.canterbury.ac.nz/~gep2 ... erstation/

And here's the one for Rangiora which I've seen before but I'll put it here:

http://www.dvp.co.nz/weather/rangiora/

Yes, I've seen the Lyttleton one before (thanks). Now we need one at Peel Forest!!! Is there one there at all??

Oh well, I found the Hamner one!! Everyone else probably know's about it

OH, and the Cheviot one!

Any otthhheeeerrrrrssssss.........?

Willoughby · Unread post by **Willoughby** » Thu 09/12/2004 13:21

Yes there are, the Rural Fire Service operates a vast number of automatic weather stations to mainly forecast fires. The places are remote and often by forests, but worth a look. The readings are taken daily at 2pm...

Click on Raw data, but the maps are very accurate too.

http://nrfa.fire.org.nz/fire_weather/we ... eather.asp

Willoughby · Unread post by **Willoughby** » Thu 09/12/2004 13:29

Re: Darfield station - are the temps overstated on the weather report because the readings are on a roof?! Is this common, because im sure it wont fit into WMO criteria...

Thunder · Unread post by **Thunder** » Thu 09/12/2004 15:12

Yes, location of the temperature measuring instrument would be important to ensure accurate readings. The Darfield one (from my link above) is currently reading 11.6C, it seems to tie in nicely with what other stations are reading. The reading from the fire weather station for Darfield seems to be ok to. Was it reading badly at one point? (The Darfied station from my link that is)

Actually, I do see on the timeline the temp went up to around 13 or 14C a bit earlier. It's possible as I see blue patches in the sky and the wind is light. Perhaps the sun came through for a bit? If it is giving slightly false readings due to it being mounted somewhere badly that's not the best but nothing too much to worry about I guess.

Thanks heaps Foggy for that data from the fire website. I think I may have seen someone mention it on here before but I never found out where it was, thanks! I don't think I see dewpoint readings there but that can be worked out via the RH and temp information. Get the temp and divide it by 100 and then times it by the relitive humidity, is that right? I think that's how you do it. The maps look usefull to.

Now, I'm guessing metnet.co.nz is the last frontier!

RWood · Unread post by **RWood** » Thu 09/12/2004 15:14

Foggy Hamilton wrote:Re: Darfield station - are the temps overstated on the weather report because the readings are on a roof?! Is this common, because im sure it wont fit into WMO criteria...

I understand there is a "proper" Met service station at Darfield which produces credible values - it appears in monthly Climate Digest summaries. However TV One and the various other idiot media are badgered by the residents of many towns to find sites that boost the temp values up - a moronic contest that implies higher temps are the one and only criterion of weather pleasantness. Lots of places quoted now or in the past on TV are a bit doubtful to say the least. I remember for a couple of years Kawakawa consistently showed as being up to 4deg above any other sites in the northern region. These figures were obvious nonsense. I could give more recent examples, but won't bore you with them.

Manukau heads obs · Thu 09/12/2004 16:40

kawakawa is actualy quite sheltered from the SW winds, etc,in behind a bit of a range of hills, and its along way to the west coast from the SW in the bay of islands area too..and so it will be warmer becuase of that....

Dean. · Unread post by **Dean.** » Thu 09/12/2004 21:20

Darfield would have a helluva better climate in summer than windy cold Wellington.

Michael · Unread post by **Michael** » Thu 09/12/2004 21:53

How bout Windy Wet Auckland

Deano wrote:Darfield would have a helluva better climate in summer than windy cold Wellington.

03Stormchaser · Unread post by **03Stormchaser** » Thu 09/12/2004 22:23

This is a better Arthers pass one (i think)

http://www.softrock.co.nz/mg/wxstn/wx1.php

And for a laugh heres scott bases

http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/tmcgav ... ather.html

I think this one is already been said Lyttelton

http://maybros.d2g.com/weather/

You may be able to get hokitika etc airports through this webpage but it looks like you have to join up!

http://www.bestweb.co.nz/kiwipilot/ifis_wx.htm

This is about the best off the above site:

ITS THE SOUTH ISLAND OVER VIEW WEATHER!

SOUTH ISLAND GA WX (SIWX)

GA WX SI

Issued by MetService
0032 UTC THURSDAY 09-DEC-2004 (1332 NZDT THURSDAY 09-DEC-2004)

VALID 2300 - 1100 UTC (1200-2400 NZDT)

SITUATION
STRONG SW FLOW. COLD FRONT APPROACHING FAR S TONIGHT.

FCST WX
SOUTHLAND OTAGO FIORDLAND: OCNL SHRA, MAINLY ABT SOUTHERN COASTS.
SPREADING ELSEWHERE LATE EVENING WITH ISOL SHRAGS/+SHRA. BKN ST 1200
IN PRECIP. AREAS BKN SC/TCU ABV 2000 ABT SOUTHERN COASTS, SPREADING
ELSEWHERE LATE EVENING. ISOL CB LATE EVENING. BULLER NW NELSON: AREAS
BKN CUSC 3000 TOPS 7000. CANTERBURY MARLBOROUGH: SHRA CLEARING
AFTERNOON. AREAS BKN CUSC 2000 TOPS 8000, ISOL TCU TOPS ABV 10,000
BECMG SCT AFTERNOON. AREAS BKN ASAC ABV 7000 BECMG SCT AFTERNOON.
ELSEWHERE: NIL SIG.
VIS
30KM, REDUCING TO 6000M IN SHRA, 4000M IN SHRAGS/+SHRA.
ICE
AREAS OCNL MOD ABV 6000FT IN CANTERBURY AND MARLBOROUGH, CLEARING
AFTERNOON. OCNL MOD ABV 6000FT N OF A LINE HAAST-NZOU DEVELOPING.
TURB
OCNL MOD, SEVERE AS PER SIGMET.
FZL
6000FT IN N, SLOPING 4000FT IN FAR S.

WIND FCST:
FORECAST WINDS AT 0600 UTC (1900 NZDT) (WIND:TRUE/SPEED:KT)

3000 5000 7000 9000

NZNS 240/19 235/26 235/32 235/38
NZHK 240/24 235/30 230/36 230/41
NZCH 235/25 235/32 235/37 235/43
NZDN 260/32 250/35 240/39 235/44
NZNV 260/34 250/37 240/41 235/46

COMMENT -
LITTLE CHANGE.

NOTE: ALL HEIGHTS IN FEET AMSL

(C) Copyright Meteorological Service of New Zealand Ltd 2004=

RWood · Unread post by **RWood** » Fri 10/12/2004 10:00

Deano wrote:Darfield would have a helluva better climate in summer than windy cold Wellington.

This is NOT a contest - one of the points I was trying to make. I was not trying to imply anything about Darfield's climate. However as a matter of objective fact, any reasonably sheltered suburb of Wellington at medium or lowish altitude would show a mean summer temp. about the same as Darfield - cooler by day, warmer by night. Wellington's rainfall in that season would be higher than Darfield's, but so would its sunshine hours. My personal line is to accept the limitations of ALL NZ climates, given our latitudes and ocean exposure. Anyone who starts skiting up the alleged climatic virtues of any NZ location can easily be shot down.

And finally, though I regularly visit Australia for holidays, I wouldn't pick Cairns very often.

Willoughby · Unread post by **Willoughby** » Fri 10/12/2004 11:53

RWood wrote:
Deano wrote:Darfield would have a helluva better climate in summer than windy cold Wellington.
This is NOT a contest - one of the points I was trying to make. I was not trying to imply anything about Darfield's climate. However as a matter of objective fact, any reasonably sheltered suburb of Wellington at medium or lowish altitude would show a mean summer temp. about the same as Darfield - cooler by day, warmer by night. Wellington's rainfall in that season would be higher than Darfield's, but so would its sunshine hours. My personal line is to accept the limitations of ALL NZ climates, given our latitudes and ocean exposure. Anyone who starts skiting up the alleged climatic virtues of any NZ location can easily be shot down.

And finally, though I regularly visit Australia for holidays, I wouldn't pick Cairns very often.

I'm surrre we can have a poke or laugh at the extensive range of micro-climates NZ has to offer

Gary Roberts · Unread post by **Gary Roberts** » Fri 10/12/2004 12:19

RWood wrote:And finally, though I regularly visit Australia for holidays, I wouldn't pick Cairns very often.

Ooooohhh...bitchy...!

I wonder how many of the people who contact TV-X to complain about the weather readings are doing so because they are tired of seeing the laughingly inaccurate "information" TV-X weather feed to their viewers?

For instance, the temperatures and conditions provided by TV Weather people for the High Country is apparently based upon that of Queenstown, Oamaru or Timaru... coastal localities which generally experience very different weather from the likes of Omarama, Twizel or Lake Tekapo.

Yet there are at least two 'standards-compliant' weather stations in the vicinity they could be sourcing their data from.

I'm sure there are many other instances similar to these which could be cited from around the country.

Is this really just about some kind of dumbass competition? I don't think so. Not for most people anyway. If the day's high was 18Â°, and partly cloudy, it's annoying to see a national weather service announcing it as 23Â° with rain!

Forecasting the weather is difficult: reporting it isn't. Get it right.

Thunder · Unread post by **Thunder** » Fri 10/12/2004 12:25

Gary Roberts wrote:
RWood wrote:And finally, though I regularly visit Australia for holidays, I wouldn't pick Cairns very often.
Ooooohhh...bitchy...!

Lol!!

Good to see you Gary!

TonyT · Unread post by **TonyT** » Fri 10/12/2004 15:54

http://www.harvestnz.com

Gary Roberts · Unread post by **Gary Roberts** » Fri 10/12/2004 16:06

TonyT wrote:http://www.harvestnz.com

Very interesting...which OS and WX app does it run?

TonyT · Unread post by **TonyT** » Fri 10/12/2004 17:30

I have no idea! I just like the data...

Manukau heads obs · Fri 10/12/2004 20:31

the data is stored in a central database, MYSQL or SQL, and the graphs are generated from that data.
with weather display you can now update a mysql database, and produce graphs from that too (and set the start end dates to plot, and select which parameters to plot, all using JPgraph

Dean. · Unread post by **Dean.** » Fri 10/12/2004 21:02

Mohahahahahahhahar

Thought I might get a bite

Michael · Unread post by **Michael** » Fri 10/12/2004 21:06

Back for the summer...... if it arrives

Lol!!

Good to see you Gary!

Willoughby · Unread post by **Willoughby** » Fri 10/12/2004 22:35

I'm loving all these secret weather links

-especially the aviation one! it will be very useful to see where the Cb's are and how high up they are

If only it was plain english

NZ Thunderstorm Soc · Fri 10/12/2004 22:39

These secret weather stations were discused at last night meet.

JohnGaul
NZTS

NZ Thunderstorm Soc · Fri 10/12/2004 22:46

I don't find them secret as I have come across many of them before.

JohnGaul
NZTS