New Zealand Local Weather Forum
Weather Discussion => Historical => 1975 - 1979 => Topic started by: Rwood on February 15, 2012, 01:07:39 PM
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April 1978: Pressures were below normal over the whole country but higher than usual to the east and north of the country. Winds were predominantly northerly everywhere, stronger in the south than in the north. It was warm, but cloudy and wet in many areas especially east of the main ranges. Drought conditions were relieved in most areas with substantial rainfalls being recorded about the middle of the month, some places having about 7 consecutive days with rain. Although grass growth improved some farmers were still short of feed.
Rainfall: The only areas with rainfall totals below normal were Poverty Bay, Southland, and parts of Northland and inland Otago. Many parts of Marlborough, Kaikoura Coast and Canterbury had monthly totals of 200-300% of normal. At Spotswood (north Canterbury) the total was more than 500% of normal. The majority of the heavy rain fell on the 16th-17th. At Kaikoura 164mm fell in 12 hours, and 52mm in 2 hours on the 17th. The worst-hit area was around Cheviot
where several roads were closed by slips and floodwaters. On the 13th-14th Greymouth experienced its worst flooding for many years. In the 12-hour period to noon on the 14th nearly 214mm was recorded. Almost 255mm was measured in a 48-hour period from the 13th to the 15th. Land slips and floodwaters cut communications, and railway lines were under water in many places. People were evacuated when flood waters entered homes and other homes were endangered by slips.
Some totals: Te Aroha 289mm, New Plymouth Aero 256mm, Napier 159mm, Kelburn 200mm, Greymouth 386mm, Blenheim 124mm, Hanmer 318mm (highest), Kaikoura 401mm (highest), Christchurch Aero 199mm, Geraldine 273mm; Cromwell 22mm, Invercargill 30mm.
Temperatures: Unusually high minimum temperatures during the month gave higher than normal mean temperatures over the whole of New Zealand. Many areas were above average by at least 2C, and in some parts of both islands mean temperatures were above by more than 3C. Reefton was 4C above average. Temperatures were exceptionally high, especially on the east coast, from the 5th to the 7th.
30.0C maximum at Temuka on the 7th.
Sunshine: Sunshine was below normal over the whole country, except for a small area around Auckland which was slightly above. Stations in Taranaki, Wellington, Wairarapa, Nelson, Marlborough, West Coast and Canterbury had 40-60 hours less sun than usual. Nelson and Blenheim were more than 70 hours below normal, their lowest total in 40 years or more. Many districts had 5-7 days without sunshine during the prolonged wet spell from the 14th to 22nd.
[Some totals: Kaitaia 157, Dargaville 129, Waitangi 148, Whangarei 160, Auckland 176, Tauranga 162, Whakatane 166, Rotorua 143, Taupo 149, Hamilton 156, Taumarunui 130, New Plymouth 143, Masterton 113, Gisborne 155, Napier 150, Kairanga 147, Palmerston North 128, Wellington 107, Stratford 104, Wanganui 134, Westport 87, Hokitika 81, Greymouth 75, Riwaka 117, Nelson 113, Blenheim 122, Kaikoura 113, Mt Cook 67, Methven 90, Christchurch 114, Tekapo 103, Timaru 74, Oamaru Aero 77, Omarama 90, Palmerston 94, Dunedin 87, Queenstown 96, Alexandra 109, Gore 85, Invercargill 79.]
Sources: NZ Met. Misc. pub. 107 (Climatological table, NZ Gazette) and NZ Met. Misc. pub. 109 (Meteorological Observations).