NZ weather summary March 1968

[Rwood]

March 1968: It was exceptionally warm, and also very humid. For most of the North Island it was the 3rd successive month with rainfall well below average, and dairy production was affected. Conditions were better in the South Island, were rainfall was mainly adequate.

Rainfall: Rainfall was above average over most of the South Island, in Northland and Coromandel, and around Rotorua. It was more than double the average value in Otago and in parts of South Canterbury, Nelson and Northland. On the Otago coast some stations had nearly 4 times the average value. [Most of the rain in the far north occurred during the advance of TC Giselle late in the month]. By contrast, in eastern and southern districts of the North Island and in parts of Taihape, Taupo and Waikato rainfall was less than half the average value. The greatest deficiency was in northern and central Hawkes Bay, Wairarapa, and western Waikato.

Widespread and serious flooding was reported in Dunedin and coastal North Otago and South Canterbury following heavy rainfall on the night of 8-9 March, associated with the passage across the South Island of a depression of tropical origin. Flooding was also reported on parts of the Southland plain and around Queenstown.

Temperatures: Temperatures were above average, mainly by about 5F. Highest departures of 6F-8F were recorded from Waikato through central districts of the North Island to southern Hawkes Bay and northern Wairarapa; and also in inland Marlborough and North Canterbury. In these districts it was by far the warmest March for at least 60 years. [Warmest March on record for NZ, 0.3C ahead of 1999].

Sunshine: The greater part of the North Island was favoured with 20-50 hours more sunshine than usual, highest departures being recorded from Taumarunui to Manawatu. By contrast, parts of the South Island together with northern and eastern Northland were unusually cloudy. Te Paki, Northland received 115 hours, and Invercargill only 92 hours; both the lowest in over 30 years of record. Another unusually low total of 100 hours was recorded at Timaru. [Te Hapua records post-1964 suspect. Invercargill low record is 84 hours in 1983; Timaru beat its record in 1970 and shattered it in 1979 with just 59, NZ’s lowest ever for March].

[Some totals:  Kaitaia 181, Kerikeri 141, Whangarei 113, Auckland 196, Tauranga 194, Whakatane 222, Taupo 213, Opotiki 218, Hamilton 195, New Plymouth 214, Masterton 212, Gisborne 228, Napier 220, Wairoa 237, Paraparaumu 221, Ohakea 237, Palmerston North 224, Levin 200, Wellington 183, Stratford 213, Ohakune 212, Wanganui 211, Westport 177, Hokitika 153, Greymouth 127, Haast 140, Riwaka 221, Nelson 201, Blenheim 239, Grassmere 196, Kaikoura 189, Mt Cook 149, Mt John 188, Methven 147, Christchurch 157, Tekapo 180, Timaru 100, Waimate 106, Omarama 162, Dunedin Aero 126, Dunedin 121, Oamaru 110, Queenstown 144, Alexandra 146, Invercargill 92, Campbell Is 55, Chatham Is 122].


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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[JennyLeez]

Thank you Rupert, definitely interesting reading.
The Upper East Coast is lining up to do much the same unless a drastic change occurs.

Rupert I have been reading through these of recent. Looking for patterns or trends, especially regarding the annual rainfall.
Temperatures and sunshine hours fairly well line up for us.
The big difference is the rainfall. The Upper East coast has seen a huge drop in rain as the years go. More so in the last 10 years.
I hope this does not continue.

Cheers and thanks for all your work regarding these reports. They are an excellent record.

[Rwood]

Thanks for comments Jenny. 

I haven't updated my personal copies of CliFlo's monthly/annual rainfalls for NZ stations (about 50 or so of them in my list) for a while now (apart from my "local", Kelburn).

The North Clyde station is the only current one in your immediate area listed in CLiFLo, that has a recent record of 20 years or so. It does look as if 2005-2014 was quite a bit drier than 1991-2004 (that period had some quite dry years, but more very wet ones). MY guess for the older record would be that the El Nino favouring period 1977-1997 would generally have been drier than the period 1950-1976 - certainly was the case for Gisborne and Napier.

[Rwood]

March 1968: [/color]It was exceptionally warm, and also very humid. For most of the North Island it was the 3rd successive month with rainfall well below average, and dairy production was affected. Conditions were better in the South Island, were rainfall was mainly adequate.

Rainfall: Rainfall was above average over most of the South Island, in Northland and Coromandel, and around Rotorua. It was more than double the average value in Otago and in parts of South Canterbury, Nelson and Northland. On the Otago coast some stations had nearly 4 times the average value. [Most of the rain in the far north occurred during the advance of TC Giselle late in the month]. By contrast, in eastern and southern districts of the North Island and in parts of Taihape, Taupo and Waikato rainfall was less than half the average value. The greatest deficiency was in northern and central Hawkes Bay, Wairarapa, and western Waikato.

Widespread and serious flooding was reported in Dunedin and coastal North Otago and South Canterbury following heavy rainfall on the night of 8-9 March, associated with the passage across the South Island of a depression of tropical origin. Flooding was also reported on parts of the Southland plain and around Queenstown.

Temperatures: Temperatures were above average, mainly by about 5F. Highest departures of 6F-8F were recorded from Waikato through central districts of the North Island to southern Hawkes Bay and northern Wairarapa; and also in inland Marlborough and North Canterbury. In these districts it was by far the warmest March for at least 60 years. [Warmest March on record for NZ, 0.3C ahead of 1999].

Sunshine: The greater part of the North Island was favoured with 20-50 hours more sunshine than usual, highest departures being recorded from Taumarunui to Manawatu. By contrast, parts of the South Island together with northern and eastern Northland were unusually cloudy. Te Paki, Northland received 115 hours, and Invercargill only 92 hours; both the lowest in over 30 years of record. Another unusually low total of 100 hours was recorded at Timaru. [Te Hapua records post-1964 suspect. Invercargill low record is 84 hours in 1983; Timaru beat its record in 1970 and shattered it in 1979 with just 59, NZ’s lowest ever for March].

[Some totals:  Kaitaia 181, Kerikeri 141, Whangarei 113, Auckland 196, Tauranga 194, Whakatane 222, Taupo 213, Opotiki 218, Hamilton 195, New Plymouth 214, Masterton 212, Gisborne 228, Napier 220, Wairoa 237, Paraparaumu 221, Ohakea 237, Palmerston North 224, Levin 200, Wellington 183, Stratford 213, Ohakune 212, Wanganui 211, Westport 177, Hokitika 153, Greymouth 127, Haast 140, Riwaka 221, Nelson 201, Blenheim 239, Grassmere 196, Kaikoura 189, Mt Cook 149, Mt John 188, Methven 147, Christchurch 157, Tekapo 180, Timaru 100, Waimate 106, Omarama 162, Dunedin Aero 126, Dunedin 121, Oamaru 110, Queenstown 144, Alexandra 146, Invercargill 92, Campbell Is 55, Chatham Is 122].


Sources: NZ Met. Misc. pub. 107 (Climatological table, NZ Gazette) and NZ Met. Misc. pub. 109 (Meteorological Observations) - additional comments by the poster.

A dramatic month for warmth, with some large variances in sunshine and rainfall. The April report gives some detail about the very high rainfall in the far north over a 2-week period.

[ato2]

I have a query re this month for New Plymouth. Is there a record of the highest maximum temperature for the month, please? Some how I recall something on a news item about it- either 1968 or 69.

[Rwood]

Maximum for New Plymouth March 1968 was 80.2F on 28th, could be a record. Kelburn had its hottest day of the summer on the 31st.

[ato2]

I have a query re this month for New Plymouth. Is there a record of the highest maximum temperature for the month, please? Some how I recall something on a news item about it- either 1968 or 69.

Maximum for New Plymouth March 1968 was 80.2F on 28th, could be a record. Kelburn had its hottest day of the summer on the 31st.

Thanks for that. I think at nearly 27 degrees, at the end of March that would have been a record.
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