Winter’s low rainfall ‘serious’ for Canty

Press, 7 September 1989, Page 3

Winter’s low rainfall ‘serious’ for Canty

By

PATRICK MCLENNAN

The lack of significant rain this winter is cause for serious concern about Canterbury’s ability to recover from the disastrous drought of the last two years, according to a Lincoln College meteorologist. Dr Neil Cherry said that although August was very cloudy, the level of rainfall recorded at Lincoln’s climate station was a little below average.

“Reports from Mid and South Canterbury indicate dry to drought conditions are continuing.” Nights were very mild for this time of year, with only five ground frosts recorded compared with 13 last year. Dr Cherry said the region had experienced more northerly conditions and fewer cold southerlies this winter because of the

’’tail end” effects of the La Nina condition over the Tasman Sea.

La Nina (opposite to El Nino) is the name given to the pattern of air pressure which determines the prevailing wind. Earlier this year the southern oscillation was found to be moving out of the positive La Nina phase, and more regular seasonal conditions were expected for winter. Winter turned out to be much cooler than the previous two, and rainfall was much higher than last year’s (149 mm compared to 91mm), but was still slightly lower than the expected mean of 170 mm, he said. June was an unsettled, cloudy month, with the sunshine total only 92 per cent of the average, the Meteorological Service recorded at its Christchurch Airport office. There were 17 rain

days (compared with an average 11) and the average temperature was a degree warmer than normal at 7.1 deg. C. Two very cold southerly outbreaks interrupted the otherwise mild northeasterly conditions experienced in the region in July.

The first one lasted five days and brought snow to low levels.

July had 162 bright sunshine hours (compared with an average 122), and a frost recorded on July 26 at —9 deg. C. was only 0.4 deg. C. outside the July record of 1980. August was an unsettled month and there were outbreaks of rain or drizzle on 20 days, although the recorded rainfall of 46mm was 10mm below the monthly average.

Only 70 per cent, of the normal monthly sunshine was recorded with 100 hours.