NZ weather summary April 1961

[Rwood]

April 1961: It was a sunny month with some spells of settled weather. It was a good month for harvesting and in most areas stock and pastures were doing well. In Marlborough conditions were too dry. Strong northwesterly gales caused damage in many districts on the 1st.

Rainfall: Over most of the country rainfall was close to or somewhat below average. It was less than half the normal value in most of Marlborough and Nelson, and in parts of North Canterbury and Gisborne. In central Marlborough some stations received less than 0.5”. The only area with rainfall appreciably above average was Southland. A number of stations in the South Island reported thunderstorms on the 17th.

Temperatures: Temperatures were close to normal in the North Island, but they were 1F warmer than normal over most of the South Island. In Canterbury the 14th and 16th were particularly warm days. On the 16th the maximum temperatures at Christchurch (86.2F) and Ashburton (87.2F) were the highest on record for April. [88.0F (31.1C) at Akaroa on the same day – this may be a NZ record for April]. A fall of snow was reported on the 1st over parts of the South Island high country.

Sunshine: Sunshine was above average or close to it, except in Northland, Southland and parts of the West Coast. Canterbury and Marlborough were favoured with the highest departures of 30-60 hours. In Northland and Southland sunshine was mainly 20 hours below average.

 [Some totals: Te Hapua 122, Kaitaia 146, Kerikeri 118, Whangarei 107, Auckland 162, Tauranga 197, Whakatane 210, Taupo 164, Hamilton 171, New Plymouth 164, Masterton 158, Gisborne 167, Napier 192, Wairoa 168, Paraparaumu 168, Ohakea 192, Palmerston North 163, Levin 159, Wellington 175, Wanganui 190, Westport 146, Hokitika 141, Greymouth 130, Haast 122, Nelson 192, Blenheim 212, Grassmere 175, Kaikoura 159, Mt Cook 131, Methven 180, Christchurch 178, Tekapo 191, Timaru 167, Waimate 155, Oamaru Aero 147, Omarama 178, Dunedin 124, Queenstown 114, Alexandra 160, Invercargill 77, Campbell Is 20, Chatham Is 89].


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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