New Zealand Local Weather Forum
Weather Discussion => Historical => 1990 - 1994 => Topic started by: Sheldybett on June 04, 2019, 03:04:01 PM
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Weather 1993
1993 was another very significant year for weather in New Zealand. It was another cold year, with very dry weather in most northern areas of the North Island.
Another cold year. The national average temperature for the year was 11.9°C, making 1993 the third coldest year in the last 50 years (0.6°C below the long term average). This temperature is calculated from selected indicator stations throughout New Zealand. In the last half century only 1992 and 1945 were colder with 11.7°C. 1946 and 1976 shared the same temperature as 1993 (11.9°C). Temperatures in 1993 were below average in all but four months.
As in 1992, the El Niño weather pattern was present, but waned as the year progressed. Volcanic ash from Mt Pinatubo has been present in the atmosphere, but dropped to a quarter of the maximum 1992 levels by the end of 1993. Both these influences and cold oceans around New Zealand caused the weather to be colder. However, it must be remembered there are many factors that can cause our climate to vary.
During 1993, cold south-westerlies and more anticyclones in the Tasman Sea occurred. There was also a lack of northwesterly winds which bring warmer weather.
Temperatures were most below average (by 1°C) in Rotorua, Gisborne and Hawke's Bay, with Rotorua and Gisborne having their second coldest year on record, with near record low mean annual temperatures measured.
Temperatures were near average along the Kaikoura coast, in north Canterbury, west Otago and Southland. In all other regions they were 0.5 to 0.9°C below average.
The highest extreme temperature for the year was 34.1 °C at Timaru on 18 January. Winter saw temperatures fall to -11.5°C at Lake Tekapo on 25 August, higher than the extremely low value of -15°C measured at Ranfurly during the winter of 1992.
Extremely dry in the north. 1993 was an exceptionally dry year in most northern regions of the North Island. Record low rainfall (about half average) occurred in the western Bay of Plenty, due to dry weather in most months. Only 727 mm of rain occurred in Tauranga, the lowest since records began in 1898. Only about two-thirds the usual rainfall occurred in the Auckland and Rotorua areas, making it the driest year since 1919.
Rainfall was also below average over the remainder of the North Island, as well as inland areas of both south Canterbury and Southland. This contrasts with the wetter conditions in Marlborough, western Otago, coastal Southland, and most alpine regions of the South Island, with rainfalls 10 to 25 percent more than average.
Of the four main centres, Wellington was the wettest with 1,164 mm and Christchurch the driest with 603 mm. Auckland amassed 775 mm and Dunedin (Airport) 670 mm. Milford Sound was the wettest spot in New Zealand with 6,430 mm, while Clyde (central Otago) recorded only 489 mm.
Sunny in the south, cloudy in the north. 1993 was a sunny year for most areas along the east coast of the South Island, with sunshine hour totals about 5 percent more than average. However, cloudier skies prevailed in some northern and western areas of the North Island, especially Auckland and King Country, where totals were as much as 10 percent below average. Other regions of New Zealand enjoyed close to average sunshine hours. Motueka was the sunniest centre recording 2,384 hours, followed by Nelson and Blenheim tied with 2,329 hours.
Of the four main centres Christchurch was the sunniest with 2,128 hours, then Wellington with 2,015 hours. Auckland recorded 1,903 hours and Dunedin 1,749 hours.
WEATHER
Other significant events
Second coldest March in more than 50 years. The national average temperature of 14.3°C was 1.6°C below average. Only March 1992 was colder (14.1°C). Southerlies brought unseasonable snowfall to the Desert Road (5 cm), and Arthur's Pass (3 cm) on 22 March, followed by early frost in inland and sheltered areas.
Sunny weather appears after at least a year of dull weather. May was the first noticeably sunnier than average month in Wellington since July 1991 and Christchurch since May 1992.
Third warmest June on record. June had persistent northwesterlies, producing the first month with well above average temperatures since February 1990. The national average temperature of 9.6°C was 1.5°C above average and third equal warmest for June since the beginning of the historical record (1853). Only June 1971 (10.3°C) and June 1916 (9.9°C) were warmer.
Driest July on record. July for most places was the driest on record, with rainfall less than a quarter average. Christchurch's 3 mm was the lowest since measures began in 1894 and Wellington's 33 mm the lowest since at least 1862. Most of Christchurch's rainfall was from large hailstones on 24 July, some the size of marbles.
Coldest November since 1946. Cold southeasteries produced a national average temperature of 12.3°C, which was 1.5°C below average.
Hail storms in Canterbury. Thunderstorms, with large hail, damaged many unharvested crops in Darfield on 19 December, followed by more large hail in Canterbury on 21 December.
Pre-Christmas floods in Kaikoura and Otago. High rainfall in catchment areas between 22 and 23 December caused rivers to overflow in Kaikoura and Otago. The flooding was most severe in Kaikoura.
Low ozone levels. The level of ultraviolet light increased over New Zealand during spring, with ozone levels about 5 percent lower than expected. At the same time ozone levels in Antarctica reached a record low of 88 Dobson units, compared to 103 units for 1992. The Dobson figure is a measure of the number of ozone molecules above the earth's surface.
Air frosts. Early air frosts occurred in inland areas of the South Island at the end of February after a period of cold southerlies.
Hail storms. These were more frequent than usual and included golfball-size hailstones near Ashburton on 26 February. Hail also damaged ripening apple crops in the Nelson region on 28 March and kiwifruit near Auckland on 8 May. Large hail stones occurred in a two hour storm in Stratford on 18 November and hail coupled with high rainfall (80 mm in 45 minutes) devastated fruit crops at Coal Creek near Roxburgh on 23 November.
Very dry weather. Less than half the average rainfall occurred on the South Island's west coast and in the Southern Lakes from April through to June.
Cold weather. Cold southwesterlies brought the lowest March and April temperatures to New Zealand since 1942. Temperatures were 2°C below average, with frosts. May was also the coldest in 30 years.
Winter snowstorms. Snow occurred in Otago and Canterbury on 9-11 May, then heavy snowfalls occurred in Otago and Southland for much of the week from 16 June which gave record low day and night time temperatures. More heavy snow occurred in Canterbury and inland Marlborough from 8-11 July. Later, very cold south-easterlies brought the most severe snowstorms since 1939 along the east coast of the South Island from 27-29 August.
Floods. Severe flooding occurred in Northland, Hawke's Bay and Wairarapa from 21-23 July. Waitohora, Wairarapa measured rainfall totalling 195 mm for the 48-hour period to 9 am on 23 July, with numerous slips and road closures throughout the region.
The Milford Road, early October 1993. After heavy rainfall, the road was engulfed by a 30,000 cubic metre slip of mud, rock and vegetation from Mt Underwood. The Cleddau river is at left.
New Zealand Official Yearbook 94
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Note several of these 1990s reports give Auckland data from a site with visibility problems (growing vegetation etc). Mangere did much better this year than the number quoted from Whenuapai (2031 hrs for Mangere).
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Well, had Below average temperature in all months apart June and the other 3 which were warmer. Plus, the sunshine total recored in Whenupai instead of Mangere which is inaccurate by the way.
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A much better year than 1992 though, which was the cloudiest on record for the North Island and parts of Nelson-Marlborough, as well as being the coldest year since 1931.
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Certainly was, in fact Palmerston North recording a North Island low of 1357 hours of sunshine, 1992 only saw two warmer/near average temperatures, also remember the big snowstorm with Christchurch recording only 1.7 on 28 August.
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I do however have to note that Palmerston North, as happened with many sites, showed some decline towards the end of its manual history - there are various non-climatological reasons this could happen, especially with the manual Campbell-Stokes equipment used then. But it certainly had a dull 1992.