September 1976: As in the previous month, the frequency of winds from an easterly quarter was unusually high for the time of year, especially over the North Island, where it was the highest for September since 1943. This caused cloudy conditions with excessive rain in most eastern areas, especially Gisborne and Hawkes Bay, where it was the wettest September since 1943. By contrast, the weather was very dry for the second month in succession in the far southwest. West Coast districts from Kawhia to Buller were battered by heavy seas on the 12th and 13th, with serious erosion in some areas, especially just north of Wellington. Small local whirlwinds caused some damage at Swanson, Auckland, on the 6th, and at Gisborne on the 27th.
Rainfall: Rainfall showed particularly large variations, ranging from a tenth of normal and less in a considerable area of Fiordland and the Southern Lakes to more than four times the normal in parts of northern Hawkes Bay. In the North Island rainfall was mainly above normal. It was more than double the average over nearly the whole of Gisborne and Hawkes Bay and also in the Coromandel-Hauraki Plains area. In parts of Gisborne and northern Hawkes Bay totals of up to 580mm were recorded, with up to 300mm from the 6th to the 9th, causing flooding in some areas. Very heavy rain with strong to gale force easterlies affected Northland, Auckland, Coromandel and the Hauraki Plains from the 5th to the 7th, with some flooding, especially around Auckland and Paeroa. Coromandel had 273mm in the 3 days and Paeroa 219mm. In the South island rainfall was above normal over most of Marlborough and Canterbury. It was less than half the normal in South Westland and Fiordland, most of the Alps and part of the Canterbury high country, most of Southland and part of Otago. Milford Sound’s total of 55mm was less than 1/3 of its previous September lowest of 192mm in 1935.
Some monthly totals (mm): Cape Reinga 202, Albert Park 203, Te Aroha 469, Gisborne 207, Frasertown (Wairoa) 208 ; Milford 55, Mt Cook 61, Pukaki 21, Wanaka 5, Cromwell 2, Invercargill 19.
Temperatures: Temperatures were below normal except on the West and Nelson, and also in a few small areas in the North Island. In Canterbury and parts of Central Otago the departure amounted to 1-2C. Over a considerable part of the Plains and South Canterbury this was the coldest September since 1943. However, in most inland areas of Canterbury it was only the coldest since 1961.
21.4C maximum at Whangarei on the 25th,
-6.5C minimum at Naseby on the 2nd.
Sunshine: Sunshine was below normal by more than 30 hours east of the ranges from Gisborne to Canterbury except for the Canterbury high country. In Wairarapa, on the Kaikoura coast and in North Canterbury and parts of the Plains, it was 40-60 hours below normal. The only area with sunshine appreciably above normal was the West Coast, with a surplus of 30 hours.
[Some totals: Kaitaia 168, Dargaville 156, Whangarei 153, Auckland 154, Tauranga 163, Whakatane 189, Rotorua 157, Taupo 166, Hamilton 150, Taumarunui 130, New Plymouth 176, Masterton 113, Dannevirke 124, Gisborne 148, Napier 163, Wairoa 150, Paraparaumu 173, Ohakea 172, Palmerston North 149, Levin 158, Wellington 142, Stratford 156, Wanganui 176, Westport 185, Hokitika 193, Greymouth 185, Riwaka 153, Nelson 177, Blenheim 176, Grassmere 161, Kaikoura 112, Mt Cook 112, Mt John 184, Methven 127, Christchurch 127, Tekapo 173, Timaru 126, Oamaru Aero 150, Omarama 165, Palmerston 142, Dunedin 141, Te Anau 146, Queenstown 171, Alexandra 199, Gore 171, Invercargill 158].
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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February 12, 2012, 08:58:36 PM