March 1964: Winds from a westerly quarter were stronger and more persistent than usual for the time of year. It was a cloudy, wet month in many districts. Conditions were mainly reasonable for pasture growth and stock, but in Gisborne, Hawkes Bay and Canterbury it was too dry, owing to comparatively low rainfall followed by drying winds. During the night of 20-21st a particularly severe northwesterly gale destroyed thousands of acres of trees in North Canterbury. Small local tornadoes affected Matamata on the 1st and Rangiriri (near Huntly) on the 4th.
Rainfall: Rainfall was one and a half to three times the average value in central districts of the North Island, also Waitomo and parts of Taranaki, Waikato and Bay of Plenty; and over most of Otago and Southland, the Alps, and Canterbury high country. In some of these areas, especially in the North Island, about 3/4 of the total fell during the passage of a deep depression over Cook Strait from the 9th-11th. Falls for the 3-day period as high as 12” were reported. Serious flooding occurred in eastern Bay of Plenty, especially Opotiki. Some flooding also occurred at Ohura (Taumarunui area). Elsewhere rainfall was mainly close to normal. However in Gisborne and Hawkes Bay and in parts of Wairarapa and North Canterbury it was only half of the average value.
Temperatures: Temperatures were close to average over the greater part of the country. However, in Gisborne and Hawkes Bay and on the Canterbury Plains and coast they were 1F-2F warmer than normal; and over the South Island ranges they were 1F-2F cooler than normal. Snow fell on the South Island ranges on the 15th.
Sunshine: Sunshine was mainly close to normal or up to 25 hours below. In parts of Fiordland, Westland, Central Otago, South Canterbury and Taranaki it was up to 40 hours below average. The only areas with sunshine appreciably above average were eastern Northland, Gisborne and Wairarapa, with a surplus of 15-40 hours.
[Some totals: Te Hapua 193, Kaitaia 195, Kerikeri 184, Whangarei 168, Auckland 167, Tauranga 182, Whakatane 207, Taupo 179, Opotiki 176, Hamilton 166, New Plymouth 167, Masterton 210, Gisborne 230, Napier 210, Wairoa 199, Paraparaumu 182, Ohakea 182, Palmerston Nth 148, Levin 139, Wellington 195, Stratford 194, Ohakune 161, Wanganui 197, Westport 138, Hokitika 133, Greymouth 118, Haast 120, Nelson 201, Blenheim 220, Grassmere 194, Kaikoura 187, Mt Cook 124, Methven 177, Christchurch 163, Tekapo 178, Timaru 136, Waimate 120, Dunedin Aero 139, Dunedin 137, Queenstown 131, Alexandra 165, Invercargill 125, Campbell Is 57, Chatham Is 163{2nd highest}].
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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June 06, 2018, 03:11:53 PM