NZ weather summary October 1972

[Rwood]

October 1972: October, like September, had a greater frequency of winds from a westerly quarter than usual; and it was a very windy month in many parts of the South Island. It was also a warm month, and was particularly warm and sunny in Gisborne and Hawkes Bay. In these areas particularly and in some other parts of the North Island more rain was needed. However, good rains relieved comparatively dry conditions in Northland and Canterbury.

Rainfall: Rainfall was mainly above normal over the South Island and also in Northland and parts of Auckland. On the Canterbury Plains, around Christchurch, and in inland central and North Canterbury and Buller it was above normal by more than 50%. Rainfall was below normal over the remainder of the North Island and over the greater part of Otago, with some of Southland. Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and most of Hawkes Bay had less than 3/4 of the normal value. By far the wettest period was from the 6th to the 9th, during the passage of a slow-moving trough with associated small depressions. The rainfall at Otira on the 6th-7th was 341mm, and for the 6th-8th 412mm. Flooding was reported in parts of the West Coast and Canterbury.

Some totals: Hokitika 492mm, Invercargill 120mm; Gisborne 25mm.

Temperatures: Temperatures were mainly above normal and the departures were more than 1C in Gisborne with most of Hawkes Bay and parts of Bay of Plenty, also in parts of Marlborough and Nelson. Gisborne had its warmest October in 36 years of observation.

28.0C maximum at Wairoa on the 21st, -4.4C minimum at Naseby on the 14th.

Sunshine:  Sunshine was close to normal over the greater part of the country. However, there were some wide variations from normal. While Gisborne and Hawkes Bay besides Marlborough were favoured with 50-85 hours above normal, the West Coast with parts of Manawatu and Taranaki had 30-55 hours below normal.

[Some totals:  Kaitaia 204, Kerikeri 186, Whangarei 204, Leigh 191, Auckland 180, Tauranga 206, Whakatane 213, Taupo 184, Opotiki 218, Auckland Aero 180, Hamilton 138(*), New Plymouth 113(*), Masterton 214, Gisborne 285, Napier 265, Wairoa 248, Paraparaumu 147, Ohakea 174, Kairanga 158, Palmerston North 128, Levin 104, Wellington 200, Stratford 161, Ohakune 140, Wanganui 166, Takaka 240, Westport 136, Hokitika 117, Greymouth 91, Haast 118, Riwaka 248, Nelson 237, Blenheim 269, Grassmere 218, Kaikoura 207, Mt Cook 156, Mt John 202, Methven 201, Christchurch 200, Tekapo 200, Timaru 184, Waimate 174, Omarama 202, Palmerston 175, Dunedin Aero 163, Dunedin 159, Oamaru 177, Queenstown 192, Alexandra 202, Invercargill 140, Raoul Is 175, Campbell Is 84, Chatham Is 167].

Sources: NZ Met. Misc. pub. 107 (Climatological table, NZ Gazette) and NZ Met. Misc. pub. 109 (Meteorological Observations).


(*): refer to following post.

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[Rwood]

Some wide variations in sunshine and to a lesser extent rainfall. I think the sunshine totals for Hamilton and New Plymouth are slightly suspect, though there were some very low totals in some western districts and there was a prolonged dull unsettled spell for a large area from the 6th to the 13th.