Temperature records broken around the country

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This month’s cold snap has broken a swathe of temperature records around the country.

NIWA data shows at more than 30 weather stations from Cape Reinga in the north to Stewart Island, had daily maximum temperature recordings that were either the lowest ever recorded, or at least in the top four coldest for July.

At South West Cape, the southernmost point on Stewart Island the temperature reached just 5.2°C on July 6.  This was the third lowest for July for this location since records began in 1991.

At the opposite end of the country at Cape Reinga the temperature was a comparably balmy 10.8°C on July 10, but this was the lowest daily maximum July temperature there since 1971.

Lowest daily maximum temperatures were also recorded at Kaitaia, Port Taharoa, Waione and Ngawi.

Suspicions that the early mornings for the first half of July have been especially chilly have also been confirmed at several locations.

In particular Northlanders have been feeling the cold with Kaitaia, Kerikeri and Warkworth all recording the lowest July temperature on record. Kaitaia’s lowest daily minimum was 0°C on July 11, Kerikeri’s -0.7°C on July 12 and Warkworth’s -2.3°C also on July 12.

Te Kuiti plummeted to -4.9°C overnight on July 13, marking it as the coldest July temperature for the town since records began in 1959.  In fact, Te Kuiti has observed its two-lowest July temperatures on record over the past three days: -4.5°C was recorded on July 11 which is its second-lowest July temperature.

And in Greymouth -2.6°C on July 9 put it in the record books as the coldest July temperature there since records begin in 1947.

NIWA climate scientist Gregor Macara said the cold weather was caused by a cold southerly flow that brought icy showers and snow last week, followed by a high pressure system bringing clear skies and little wind to most of the country.

“Clouds act like a blanket at night and trap heat over the Earth’s surface, whereas clear skies enable enhanced night-time cooling as this heat escapes the atmosphere. This process has contributed to the severe frosts observed lately,” he said.

The current list of July 2015 record breakers is:

Lowest Daily Maximum Temperature Extremes







LOCATION

Daily Tmax (°C)

Date

Year records began

Ranking

Cape Reinga

10.8

10th

1971

Lowest

Kaitaia

9.6

10th

1971

Lowest

Dargaville

9.4

9th

1951

2nd-lowest

Mokohinau

10.0

10th

1994

Equal lowest

Warkworth

9.8

9th

1966

4th-lowest

Whangaparaoa

9.9

10th

1982

Equal 2nd-lowest

Whitianga

9.8

9th

1971

2nd-lowest

Paeroa

8.8

9th

1971

4th-lowest

Te Puke

8.6

8th

1973

4th-lowest

Whakatane

9.3

8th

1975

Equal 4th-lowest

Rotorua

7.1

8th

1972

Equal 3rd-lowest

Motu

3.8

8th

1990

3rd-lowest

Port Taharoa

9.0

8th

1974

Lowest

Te Kuiti

6.3

9th

1959

2nd-lowest

Turangi

5.7

9th

1968

4th-lowest

Takapau Plains

3.8

9th

1972

2nd-lowest

Dannevirke

4.0

9th

1951

2nd-lowest

Waione

4.9

9th

1993

Lowest

Castlepoint

6.5

8th

1972

3rd-lowest

Ngawi

6.9

8th

1972

Lowest

Hicks Bay

8.1

8th

1972

Equal lowest

Gisborne

6.9

9th

1940

3rd-lowest

Napier

7.5

9th

1940

4th-lowest

Hastings

6.6

9th

1972

2nd-lowest

Wairoa

7.6

8th

1972

2nd-lowest

Mahia

7.4

9th

1990

Equal 2nd-lowest

Ohakune

2.2

9th

1972

Equal 3rd-lowest

Haast

6.1

6th

1949

4th-lowest

Secretary Island

5.9

6th

1989

3rd-lowest

Le Bons Bay

3.4

8th

1984

2nd-lowest

South West Cape

5.2

6th

1991

3rd-lowest

 

 

Lowest Daily Minimum Temperature Extremes







LOCATION

Daily Tmin (°C)

Date

Year records began

Ranking

Kaitaia

0.0

11th

1948

Lowest

Kerikeri

-0.7

12th

1981

Lowest

Warkworth

-2.3

12th

1966

Lowest

North Shore, Auckland

1.0

12th

1994

Equal 3rd-lowest

Port Taharoa

0.9

10th

1973

Equal 2nd-lowest

Te Kuiti

-4.9

13th

1959

Lowest

Taumarunui

-5.9

12th

1947

Equal 4th-lowest

Mahia

1.8

9th

1990

2nd-lowest

Westport

-1.3

9th

1937

4th-lowest

Greymouth

-2.6

9th

1947

Lowest

Puysegur Point

1.1

7th

1978

4th-lowest

Appleby

-5.6

11th

1932

4th-lowest

Waiau School

-7.3

12th

1974

Equal 4th-lowest

Dunedin (Musselburgh)

-3.1

13th

1947

Equal 2nd-lowest

Alexandra

-8.7

12th

1983

4th-lowest

Balclutha

-6.1

13th

1964

2nd-lowest



 

 

 

 

 

Lauder in snow, 1963. [Des Rowles]

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