August 1971: August was unusually mild, especially in the North Island, and it ended a particularly mild winter. In some northern and eastern districts of the North Island and parts of Otago the ground was too wet. In Northland, eastern districts of the North Island and about Cook Strait some serious lamb losses occurred, mostly in a violent southeasterly gale with rain affecting especially the Cook Strait area from the 16th-18th.
This was another month with an unusually high frequency of northeasterly flow.
Rainfall: In the North Island rainfall was mainly up to 50% above normal, but in the South Island it was predominantly 25% below normal. Central Canterbury with Banks Peninsula had less than half the normal value. On the other hand, several areas had more than double the average, namely Northland, from south of Kaitaia to Whangarei, the East Coast as far south as Tokomaru Bay, and the area about Cook Strait. Northland received its heaviest rain on the 2nd and 3rd, some stations recording 200mm over these 2 days, with flooding. The East Coast’s heavy rain was on the 7th. The area about Cook Strait had its heavy rain on the 16th & 17th;
Wellington Airport was drenched by 131mm in 12 hours.
Some totals: Kerikeri 380mm, Ruatoria 389mm, Kelburn 188mm, Blenheim 131mm; Rangiora 12mm.
Temperatures: Temperatures were well above normal, except in Fiordland and on the Southland and Otago coast, where they were close to normal. Departures averaged 1.5C over the North Island, reaching more than 2C around Rotorua and Waiouru. Over most of the North Island this was the warmest August for at least 50 years; and in the same area the winter season was the warmest on record. Snow fell on the South Island high country on the 16th and 17th.
23.4C maximum at Napier on the 27th,
-9.5C minimum at Molesworth on the 21st.
Sunshine: Sunshine was below average in most areas by 15-20 hours, but in parts of Gisborne, Hawkes Bay and Otago the departure amounted to 30-50 hours.
[Some totals: Kaitaia 116, Kerikeri 118, Whangarei 130, Leigh 146, Auckland 139, Tauranga 145, Whakatane 149, Taupo 118, Opotiki 138, Auckland Aero 148, Hamilton 142, New Plymouth 142, Masterton 116, Gisborne 103, Napier 121, Wairoa 118, Paraparaumu 117, Ohakea 146, Kairanga 138, Palmerston North 122, Levin 117, Wellington 133, Stratford 125, Ohakune 133, Wanganui 139, Takaka 145, Westport 124, Hokitika 118, Greymouth 114, Haast 141, Riwaka 162, Nelson 162, Blenheim 174, Grassmere 173, Kaikoura 161, Mt Cook 106, Mt John 176, Methven 165, Christchurch 137, Tekapo 170, Timaru 118, Waimate 118, Omarama 173, Palmerston 111, Dunedin Aero 98, Dunedin 93, Oamaru 115, Queenstown 118, Alexandra 142, Invercargill 120, Raoul Is 165, Campbell Is 23, Chatham Is 86]
Sources: NZ Met. Misc. pub. 107 (Climatological table, NZ Gazette) and NZ Met. Misc. pub. 109 (Meteorological Observations).
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May 01, 2019, 03:45:18 PM