NZ weather summary April 1964

[Rwood]

April 1964: A month of predominantly settled weather with comparatively low rainfall. In Hawkes Bay, where some areas had experienced 7 consecutive months of low rainfall, conditions had become exceptionally dry, with a serious shortage of feed.

Rainfall: In the North Island, except for Northland, rainfall was only about half the average value. In the South Island it was also only half in many districts. However in North Canterbury and Buller and on the Southland plain it was close to average. The only considerable area with rainfall a little above average was part of northern Northland. A few stations in central Hawkes Bay and in the upper Waitaki Valley received less than 0.5”. At Napier the total rainfall from October 1963 to April 1964 was only 8.66”, the lowest for this 7-month period for about 30 years.

Temperatures: Temperatures were mainly close to average or up to 1F below. In Nelson and on the West Coast they were 1F-2F cooler than normal.

Sunshine: Sunshine was below average by up to 25 hours over the southern half of the South Island, also in Northland, Gisborne and Hawkes Bay. Over the remainder of the North Island and in Marlborough it was mainly above average by up to 40 hours.

 [Some totals: Te Hapua 141, Kaitaia 140, Kerikeri 127, Whangarei 127, Auckland 148, Tauranga 197, Whakatane 201, Taupo 193, Opotiki 194, Hamilton 182, New Plymouth 190, Masterton 149, Gisborne 145, Napier 146, Wairoa 134, Paraparaumu 167, Ohakea 186, Palmerston Nth 153, Levin 150, Wellington 131,  Stratford 170, Ohakune 173, Wanganui 163, Westport 156, Hokitika 133, Greymouth 124, Haast 122, Nelson 182, Blenheim 208, Grassmere 184, Kaikoura 143, Mt Cook 139, Methven 155, Christchurch 129, Tekapo 180, Timaru 115, Waimate 111, Dunedin Aero 115, Dunedin 113, Queenstown 106, Alexandra 134, Invercargill 80, Campbell Is 37, Chatham Is 103].


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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[Rwood]

An unusually quiet month, especially by today's standards. All I can recall from being in Dunedin at the time was a cloudy month with a lack of significant events.