October 1961: Barometers were unusually high over the country, and it was an exceptionally warm and dry month. Auckland and Southland moisture levels held favourably, elsewhere farming was looking for good rains by the end of the month.
Rainfall: Less than half average except in Westland, Southland, coastal Otago and the greater part of Auckland province. It was less than 25% of average in eastern districts from Canterbury to southern Hawkes Bay, and also about Cook Strait and Manawatu. Driest areas were southern Wairarapa, Marlborough near Cape Campbell, parts of inland North Canterbury and Christchurch with northern Banks Peninsula, where totals varied from about 12m down to nil. The first 3 of these areas had their driest ever October. Parts of Westland and a few areas in Northland, Auckland and Waikato recorded rainfall above normal. In a small area about and south of Auckland torrential downpours were recorded on the 28th, including 175mm at Pukekohe in seven and a half hours.
Temperatures: Above normal over the whole country, average departure about 2.0C. In eastern and inland districts from Wairarapa to north and central Otago and in the central North Island departures were 2.2C-3.3C, many of them having the warmest October in about 50 years. The second half of the month was particularly warm, with temperatures typical of December rather than October. On the 22nd, the relative humidity at noon at Jordan in the Awatere valley was only 6%. [October 1961 is the warmest one in the NZ temperature series, with a departure of about 1.7C over the current 30-year normal. For many, October’s warm dry weather was very welcome after the coldness of August and September. This was the first month of a run of warmer than average months that lasted until February 1963].
Sunshine: Eastern areas from Gisborne to north Canterbury and areas around Cook Strait were 40-80 hours above average. For Gisborne, Blenheim and Hanmer it was the sunniest October on record. Lesser surpluses occurred elsewhere in the North Island (except eastern Northland) and in Nelson and central Canterbury. The West Coast and the Alps had 10-40 hours less than average. [Blenheim’s 288 was beaten by 300 in 1969 (NZ record), Gisborne’s 263 easily by 285 in 1972].
[Some totals: Te Hapua 187, Kaitaia 212, Kerikeri 174, Whangarei 177, Auckland 206, Tauranga 232, Whakatane 248, Taupo 214, Hamilton 183, New Plymouth 187, Masterton 269, Gisborne 263, Napier 278, Wairoa 267, Paraparaumu 178, Ohakea 211, Palmerston North 172, Levin 150, Wellington 228, Wanganui 227, Westport 162, Hokitika 136, Greymouth 120, Haast 105, Nelson 249, Blenheim 288, Grassmere 254, Kaikoura 244, Mt Cook 117, Methven 211, Christchurch 214, Tekapo 220, Timaru 176, Waimate 157, Oamaru Aero 180, Omarama 188, Dunedin 160, Queenstown 196, Alexandra 205, Invercargill 152, Campbell Is 75, Chatham Is 125].
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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May 11, 2018, 10:25:31 PM