New Zealand Local Weather Forum
Weather Discussion => Historical => 1960 - 1964 => Topic started by: Rwood on May 31, 2018, 03:10:06 PM
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January 1964: Pressures were low over the country, especially for the first 3 weeks, and January 1964 will be mainly remembered for the exceptionally strong and persistent winds from a westerly quarter in this period, giving rise to unpleasant conditions for holidaymakers. January was also a cool month, and very dry in eastern districts. Farmers in Northland were finding conditions much too dry after several months of below-average rainfall. Elsewhere stock condition was good, but crops in Otago and Southland were affected by the cool unsettled conditions. Strong gales were reported in many districts on the 7th-8th.
Rainfall: Rainfall was less than half the average value in Gisborne, Hawkes Bay and most of Canterbury, also in central Northland, eastern Wairarapa, the Kaikoura coast and northern Central Otago. On parts of the Kaikoura coast it was by far the driest January in many years of record, with total falls as low as 0.25”. Greatest excesses above average were recorded in northwest Nelson and inland Buller, with falls more than double the normal value. Other areas with rainfall at least 50% above average were coastal Buller, north Westland, the Marlborough Sounds and parts of Fiordland. Thunderstorm activity was unusually high during the month, especially on the 7th-8th.
Temperatures: Over the greater part of the country temperatures were 2F-3F below average. However, in Northland, Gisborne, Hawkes Bay, Marlborough, and the Canterbury coast and plains they were close to average. In the Alps and Fiordland this was the coldest January since about 1939, with temperatures 4F-6F below average and the snow-line much lower than usual. Snow was reported at the Homer tunnel and to comparatively low levels in the Southern Lakes district and Central Otago on the 2nd. Some of these areas also reported snow on the hills on the 11th-12th.
Sunshine: There were unusually wide variations in sunshine. In Buller, Westland, Otago and Southland it was 40-90 hours below average, with record low totals at Gore and Invercargill [broken in 1970]. By contrast, Gisborne, Hawkes Bay and Wairarapa were favoured with 40-60 hours above normal.
[Some totals: Te Hapua 216, Kaitaia 204, Kerikeri 223, Whangarei 234, Auckland 238, Tauranga 242, Whakatane 255, Taupo 231, Opotiki 233, Hamilton 233, New Plymouth 221, Masterton 282, Gisborne 293, Napier 302, Wairoa 293, Paraparaumu 229, Ohakea 231, Palmerston Nth 203, Levin 196, Wellington 255, Stratford 224, Ohakune 191, Wanganui 233, Westport 167, Hokitika 136, Greymouth 114, Haast 131, Nelson 253, Blenheim 283, Grassmere 270, Kaikoura 261, Mt Cook 130, Methven 258, Christchurch 244, Tekapo 235, Timaru 214, Waimate 195, Dunedin Aero 135, Dunedin 134, Queenstown 192, Alexandra 193, Invercargill 127, Campbell Is 77, Chatham Is 236 (well above average)].
Sources: NZ Met. Misc. pub. 107 (Climatological table, NZ Gazette) and NZ Met. Misc. pub. 109 (Meteorological Observations) - additional comments by the poster.
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Looks very like an El Nino month. (similar to January 1983)
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That's quite a total of sunshine for the Chathams.
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Yes, pretty similar. A little drier and warmer than Jan 1983, but a pretty awful month in the far south anyway.
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Yes, 50 hours above average although 7 or 8 other Januaries matched or exceeded it - offset by some very dull ones.