New Zealand Local Weather Forum

Archive Library => 2013 => Archives => March => Topic started by: JennyLeez on March 16, 2013, 12:28:55 PM

Title: Mid March Rainfall Reports 2013.
Post by: JennyLeez on March 16, 2013, 12:28:55 PM

There is much discussion concerning the drought being inflicted over most of New Zealand at present in the Shout Box. Alas visitors to the forum will not be able to read this plus the forum can not push this to the social medias.
Below is a graph showing the rainfall across New Zealand for March as at the 15th.
As always 'NZLWF accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of Member's Data.'
Please add your local conditions or comments underneath and then we can push this info up to our social media readers.

(http://wairoaweather.net/weathernz/reports/rainfall_mid-march.png)

Title: Re: Mid March Rainfall Reports 2013.
Post by: David on March 16, 2013, 01:30:06 PM

Just a note to those who haven't had any rain yet - try and clean your rain gauges before the rain arrives. Plenty of dirt and dust gets in there in very dry conditions!

Title: Re: Mid March Rainfall Reports 2013.
Post by: gabba on March 16, 2013, 01:43:58 PM

Metservice have a rainfall forecast map here:

http://www.metservice.com/maps-radar/rain-forecast/rain-forecast-3-day

Head along and see if you are going to get any ;-)

Title: Re: Mid March Rainfall Reports 2013.
Post by: Rwood on March 17, 2013, 08:31:55 AM

I think they are exaggerating the Wellington shortage as far as "days left" goes - one source told me it was more like 60 days than 20, but if it scares people into using less in the meantime I don't mind.

The statement that we've had our longest "dry" spell (days with < 1mm) since 1919 is not correct. We won't pass the 34 count in Jan-Feb 1947. 1919 had a run of about 6 weeks which was very dry, but 6mm fell one day in the middle of the period.

Title: Re: Mid March Rainfall Reports 2013.
Post by: hbweather on March 17, 2013, 08:53:20 AM

Here's a graph showing rain at my station since Aug '12. The orange bars are the 40yr mean, and the blue my recorded rainfall... :o

George

Title: Rain for Some - Midday Rainfall Summary 17th March 2013
Post by: JennyLeez on March 17, 2013, 12:20:44 PM

Rainfall so far since Midnight 17th March 2013.
Recorded at 12.00pm

Location Golden Bay Kerikeri Waitakere Red Beach Shelly Park Mt Roskill Dargaville Airfield Dargaville Howick Paremoremo Awhitu Howick West Mangawhai Somerville Russell Grey Lynn Hunua Massey Te Awamutu Tapu Valley Kaipara Arrowtown Cambridge Mahana Lake Taupo Te Puke Oban Tokoroa North Port Levy Tokoroa Central Matamata Paraonui Reefton Clyde Waimatuku Arthur's Pass Ashburton Ashhurst Belmont Bishopdale Blenheim Brooklyn Burwood Camborne Cheviot Darfield Fairfield Feilding Frasertown Gisborne Invercargill Lake Waikaremoana Mahia Beach Makarewa Maungaraki Mosgiel Napier Nuhaka Ohauiti Opotiki Palmerston North Parakai Airfield Port Robinson Strathern Swannanoa Te Anau Templeton Timaru Waikawa Beach Waipukurau Wairoa Wairoa West Waiuku West Eyreton Castle Hill Whangawehi

Rainfall 39.4 16.8 14.8 12.2 12.2 11.8 11.7 10.7 10.6 10.4 10.1 9.6 9.6 9.4 9.2 9.0 8.8 5.2 4.8 4.4 4.0 2.6 2.4 2.1 2.0 1.8 1.2 1.0 0.9 0.8 0.7 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.3

The data used in this Report is contributed by Member Stations. 
NZLWF accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of Member's Data.   

Title: Re: Mid March Rainfall Reports 2013.
Post by: gabba on March 17, 2013, 12:33:37 PM

Finally raining now in the Hutt, and it looks like it will settle in for the afternoon

Title: Re: Mid March Rainfall Reports 2013.
Post by: JennyLeez on March 17, 2013, 12:41:48 PM

(http://wairoaweather.net/weathernz/reports/midday_march17.jpg)

Title: Re: Mid March Rainfall Reports 2013.
Post by: thrashcardiom on March 17, 2013, 12:46:09 PM

We have had a few spots of rain in Waipukurau.  Not enough to wet the ground though.  It made a bit of a pattern in the dust on the roof just outside my office.

Title: Re: Mid March Rainfall Reports 2013.
Post by: Te Puke Weather on March 17, 2013, 12:51:59 PM

RainWatch - Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain - By Weather Watch

Rain or showers to varying degrees has been recorded across more than half of the country so far today and with Sunday not even halfway through there's a chance of more on the way.

It's still difficult to try and pinpoint the exact location of the moisture for this afternoon and tonight as it's fairly scrappy but bursts of rain or showers intensifying then slackening off have seen some places get a decent dollop whereas others have remained dry.

It's certainly wetter than what appeared likely just a couple of days ago and for many it's been a blessing but much more rain is certainly required to break the drought conditions.

The two southern main centres have seen the driest conditions overall but still a couple of northern ones haven't seen a lot.
Hamilton and Tauranga have seen less than the greater Auckland region or Wellington up until this point.

Sixteen millimetres has been the highest total so far in Albany but five to ten millimetres of rain has been recorded at a number of weather stations and rain guages.

The early to middle part of this week sees a further smattering of showers or brief periods of rain still to come.
Again they're localised however parts of the North Island shouldn't miss out especially over southern, central and eastern districts.

Further ahead and there's a hint now that Easter could be mostly dry apart from the south and west of the South Island as a large anticyclone holds centrestage. We're still in search of a rainmaker following this but sadly our thoughts on a significant rain-bearer have waned a little at the end of the month.

Comments have been pouring into WeatherWatch so far today thought about some wet stuff here and there...

David said" Steady but light rain in Kapiti this morning. Roads are now wet, but there won't be any runoff from farmland etc. May this continue all day!!"

Melanie was getting in amongst the excitement" It is raining in Beachlands !!! It comes down hard, then frightens us by almost stopping but then it starts up again. Its not a steady rainfall yet, but I hope it gets to one soon."

Kerry mentioned earlier.. "We've had steady rain for about half hour but it seems to have eased off now, hopefully it will get harder again - east Auckland."

Melanie added"Only about 1mm here in Waikanae, rain now stopped and sun is trying to shine, forgot how lovely rain sounds and smells!."

Jo was observant -"Sitting here parked in mt Wellington. The grounds wet but don't think I'd even get my hair wet at the mo! It's trying hard tho with those rain clouds above! Let it pour I say!"

The last word or words on the current situation we leave with Brian this Sunday lunchtime..."The main rain band is not sticking around for long though. Rain off and on to follow it though, and then another rain band to follow this one, associated with the last remains of the TC. So should get to around 10mm or so...will not be a drought breaker...good for water tanks though...there is another rain band associated with the front/trough moving into the tasman sea, for later tomorrow..."

Indeed Brian and we're keeping our eye on the skies.
Thanks very much for all of your reports and St Patrick's Day is turning out more postively on the rainfront and let's hope it moves into tomorrow nicely as well.

Weather Watch

Title: Re: Mid March Rainfall Reports 2013.
Post by: einzack on March 17, 2013, 02:45:04 PM

we drove from Franz Josef back to Reefton this morning, and I was rather disappointed to find only 1.5mm in my gauge.
started raining around 7.30am this morning in Franz and rained all the way driving until about 30km from Reefton where the road showed barely any sign of rain.
In Reefton itself, has been very lightly drizzling since we got home, but not surprised that it's barely registered.
forecast is still showing some significant rain coming. fingers crossed we get it.

Title: Re: Mid March Rainfall Reports 2013.
Post by: hbweather on March 17, 2013, 02:56:52 PM

Very slight spotty drizzle started here in Napier at about 12:20, then ever so slowly increased to light rain, which has continued off and on. Not much of it, though - my automatic raingauge says 0.5mm so far, and the Snowdon reads at 0.7mm. So no need for ark diagrams just yet...sigh.

George

Update at 4:30pm:Looks like its all over - sky is starting to clear from the NW. I've recorded a whole 2.1mm, and now must go out and continue watering....

Title: 17th March Rainfall Summary as 9.15pm
Post by: JennyLeez on March 17, 2013, 09:44:33 PM

Rainfall so far since Midnight 17th March 2013
Recorded at 9.15pm

Location Golden Bay Authur's Pass Arrowtown Waitakere Awhitu Clyde Shelly Park Kerikeri Paremoremo Hunua Ashburton Mt Roskill Howick Red Beach Ohauiti Somerville Howick West Matamata Grey Lynn Timaru Te Anau Cambridge Fairfield Dargaville Dargaville Airfield Castle Hill Mosgiel Te Awamutu Mangawhai Russell Massey Waimatuku Te Puke Darfield Oban Maungaraki Paraonui Tokoroa North Tapu Valley Makarewa Kaipara Tokoroa Central Lake Taupo West Melton Mahana Reefton Belmont Brooklyn West Eyreton Strathern Invercargill Port Levy Swannanoa Waikawa Beach Napier Templeton Camborne Burwood Bishopdale Waipukurau Frasertown Wairoa Wairoa West Ashhurst Blenheim Cheviot Feilding Nuhaka Palmerston North Parakai Airfield Pongakawa Port Robinson Waiuku Whangawehi

Month Rainfall 72.8 32.8 31.5 23.6 21.9 21.1 19.0 18.6 17.6 16.6 15.6 15.4 14.8 14.3 14.1 13.4 12.9 12.9 12.4 12.4 12.2 12.0 12.0 11.7 11.7 10.9 10.8 10.2   9.8   9.6   9.3   9.0   8.7   8.0   7.5   7.4   7.2   7.2   6.6   6.4   6.2   6.0   5.8   5.2   5.1   5.1   5.0   4.8   4.8   4.5   4.0   3.3   2.6   2.2   2.1   2.0   1.8   1.4   1.0   0.5   0.3   0.3   0.3

The data used in this Report is contributed by Member Stations. 
NZLWF accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of Member's Data.   

Title: Re: Mid March Rainfall Reports 2013.
Post by: gabba on March 18, 2013, 06:36:57 AM

33.8mm here since midday yesterday (about 18 hours)

Title: Re: Mid March Rainfall Reports 2013.
Post by: Weather Display on March 18, 2013, 08:33:27 AM

the upper level convection triggered by the southern alps over the eastern south island was interesting

Title: Re: Mid March Rainfall Reports 2013.
Post by: hbweather on March 19, 2013, 08:55:56 AM

Some overnight rain in Napier. We got one band of sporadic showers between 10pm and midnight, then another brief burst between 4am and 5am. This activity generated a whole 7.3mm, though MetService is saying we'll get some more with the next frontal band this afternoon... ;)

Our month total for march is now 11.5mm, whereas we should, in a "normal" March, have received about 40mm or so by now.... :o

George

Title: Re: Mid March Rainfall Reports 2013.
Post by: hotcop65 on March 19, 2013, 09:18:09 AM

Finally we had a good amount of rain here y'day. Recorded 17.5mm. Still not really enough to break the drought but it's a start.

Title: Re: Mid March Rainfall Reports 2013.
Post by: Suezy on March 19, 2013, 10:33:15 PM

West Melton

We got a total of 32.8mm of rain over the three days - 17th 11.2mm 18th 20.8 and today .08. Makinga total of 33.4mm for the month so far.  Very pleased with our total.

Title: Re: Mid March Rainfall Reports 2013.
Post by: JennyLeez on March 19, 2013, 11:07:18 PM

26mm today ( Tuesday) not that we need it.
8 Rain days for March. Just a drizzle for most days but enough to keep the grass growing.
I was told by our Local paper today that this area is the greenness in the North Island at present :)
We have certainly not been in the same drought conditions as the rest of NZ thank goodness.
 

Title: Re: Mid March Rainfall Reports 2013.
Post by: JennyLeez on March 20, 2013, 09:39:00 AM

Wednesday 20th.
30mm over night taking last 24 hours to 57.3mm and March rain days to 9.

I have uploaded a photo to show how green it is here.
That photo is a great example of how the whole of the North Island is in a Drought....lol....  sorry Rupert :)

Title: Re: Mid March Rainfall Reports 2013.
Post by: deepsouthweather on March 20, 2013, 11:52:28 AM

14.6mm to date this month in Invercargill, 15.8mm since 16Feb.

Title: Re: Mid March Rainfall Reports 2013.
Post by: Weather Display on March 20, 2013, 01:32:12 PM

check out
https://www.niwa.co.nz/climate/daily-climate-maps