NZ weather summary March 1973

[Rwood]

March 1973:  March was warm and predominantly somewhat dry. After the drought which had prevailed in February, light rains gave some relief but were inadequate, and soils were still too dry.

Rainfall: Rainfall was mainly only 3/4 of the normal value, the relatively driest areas being in inland districts of North Canterbury and Marlborough. However, rainfall was above normal over nearly the whole of the North Island from Taranaki, Taihape and southern Hawkes Bay southward; also around Auckland City, in eastern Bay of Plenty, and in parts of Otago.

203mm rainfall at Waimana, 221mm at New Plymouth, 7mm at Tekapo.

Temperatures:  Temperatures were above normal by about 1C in the North Island and somewhat less in the South Island.

30.0C maximum at Lincoln on the 15th, -6.0C minimum at Molesworth on the 28th.

Sunshine: Sunshine was below normal in eastern districts from Whangarei to Christchurch, and also in southern Manawatu and Wellington, by 20-60 hours; Masterton’s total of 120 hours was its lowest on record for March. However, the West Coast was favoured with 20-50 hours above normal sunshine.

[Some totals:  Kaitaia 194, Kerikeri 142, Whangarei 135, Leigh 162, Auckland 165, Tauranga 181, Whakatane 199, Taupo 182, Opotiki 173, Auckland Aero 165, Hamilton 174, New Plymouth Aero 191, Masterton 120, Gisborne 156, Napier 170, Wairoa 165, Paraparaumu 153, Ohakea 166, Kairanga 179, Palmerston North 161, Levin 145, Wellington 150, Stratford 169, Ohakune 139, Wanganui 177, Takaka 197, Westport 182, Hokitika 193, Greymouth 172, Haast 200, Riwaka 198, Nelson 197, Blenheim 192, Grassmere 170, Kaikoura 148, Mt Cook 167, Mt John 241, Methven 175, Christchurch 153, Tekapo n/a, Timaru 163, Waimate 142, Omarama 199, Palmerston 149, Dunedin Aero 153, Dunedin 159, Oamaru 160, Queenstown 182, Alexandra 187, Invercargill 153, Raoul Is 183, Campbell Is 58, Chatham Is 109].

Sources: NZ Met. Misc. pub. 107 (Climatological table, NZ Gazette) and NZ Met. Misc. pub. 109 (Meteorological Observations).

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[Rwood]

The brevity of the report suggests a fairly uneventful month. The low sunshine value at Masterton is suspect; from the 1970s till closure I suspect the site had deteriorated.