November 1973:  November was cloudy and warm. Most of the areas where the October weather had been too dry received adequate rains in November, and growth was good. However, conditions were too dry in South Canterbury and in parts of Northland.

Rainfall: Rainfall was above normal over the greater part of the country. The surplus was over 50% in central and southern Hawkes Bay, western Nelson with Buller and north Westland, and most of the Marlborough Sounds. Rainfall was below normal by 25% in Coromandel, Gisborne and northern Hawkes Bay; South Canterbury, most of Northland, Bay of Plenty and southern Wairarapa; and parts of Wanganui, Manawatu, central Canterbury and Central Otago. Some heavy falls were recorded in central and southern Hawkes Bay from to 14th to the 16th, amounting over the 3 days to 130-150mm. In the Alps and on the West Coast the 2nd and 3rd were very wet, with amounts of up to 250-300mm over the 2 days; and totals of 100mm and more caused some flooding, especially around Karamea.

17mm at Cape Reinga, 886mm at Milford Sound. 259mm at Mt Cook on the 2nd.

Temperatures: Temperatures were 1C-2C above normal over the North Island, and 1C above normal over the northern half of the South Island. The first 8 days were particularly warm, except on the 4th in the south.
 
{Average diurnal range at Makara radio site (279m ASL) was only 4.7C, with the absolute maximum only 1.4C above the average maximum}.
 
Sunshine:  Sunshine was mainly below normal by 30-50 hours. However, in some eastern districts north of Oamaru it was about normal.

[Some totals:  Kaitaia 169, Kerikeri 164, Whangarei 186, Leigh 182, Auckland 163, Tauranga 189, Whakatane 185, Taupo 187, Opotiki 173, Auckland Aero 178, Hamilton 186, New Plymouth Aero 172, Masterton 180, Gisborne 235, Napier 198, Wairoa 220, Paraparaumu 165, Ohakea 184, Kairanga 165, Palmerston North 132, Levin 130, Wellington 176, Stratford 159, Ohakune 153, Wanganui 169, Takaka 202, Westport 154, Hokitika 145, Greymouth 130, Haast 123, Riwaka 207, Nelson 201, Blenheim 193, Grassmere 160, Kaikoura 195, Mt Cook 117, Mt John 227, Methven 211, Christchurch 210, Tekapo n/a, Timaru 175, Waimate 147, Omarama 189, Palmerston 130, Dunedin Aero 132, Dunedin 125, Oamaru 129, Queenstown 176, Alexandra 192, Invercargill 129, Raoul Is 200, Campbell Is 105, Chatham Is 148].

Sources: NZ Met. Misc. pub. 107 (Climatological table, NZ Gazette) and NZ Met. Misc. pub. 109 (Meteorological Observations) - additional comments in italics or bracketed.

I was wondering if observations are still made at Makara?

I was wondering if observations are still made at Makara?

Shut 31 August 1975, though apparently some rainfall obs. continued on for a while. Interestingly, in April 1968 the 10th didn't record the month's highest 24-hour windrun there - either it was unavailable, or more likely the numbers were split by the 9am cutoff - some of the Wahine event was part of the 9th's data, and some from the 10th.
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Ah, I was going to come to that business of Wahine Day but you have given me the answer. Thanks.

I was wondering if observations are still made at Makara?

Shut 31 August 1975, though apparently some rainfall obs. continued on for a while. Interestingly, in April 1968 the 10th didn't record the month's highest 24-hour windrun there - either it was unavailable, or more likely the numbers were split by the 9am cutoff - some of the Wahine event was part of the 9th's data, and some from the 10th.
Ah, I was going to come to that business of Wahine Day but you have given me the answer. Thanks.
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Considering the 10th further - even if the calendar day windrun was calculated, the worst wind from the storm was almost entirely confined to about the period 4am to 1pm (9 hours), as I recollect. Say Makara had an average speed then of 140kph (it was going at 120-130kph at Kelburn for a couple of hours or so) - that would give a run of about 1260km. Adding some more on for the rest of the day (which started dead calm at 00.00 on the 9th), say 1600km for the whole day. A reasonable northwesterly gale averaging 70kph for 24 hours (no problem for Makara) would top that, and no doubt did so that April.

The highest daily value I've seen for NZ sites was somewhere above 3100 km (!) at Southwest Cape - that would have been a fierce NW gale maintained over 24 hours.
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That is some wind run! Wonder what the highest from a Taranaki site is?

Nothing for Cape Egmont, Awakino has a high (2005-present) of 1537km on 22/6/2007, New Plymouth AWS (1992-present) less than that. Unfortunately there is probably nothing for the "Bola" event in 1988.