New Weather Forecast Districts

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 100, Issue 5, 16 May 1960, Page 457

New Weather Forecast Districts

BECAUSE the district names used in weather forecasting have not been entirely satisfactory to either, the public or the weather forecasters, the New Zealand Meteorological Service, since 21 March, has been using a new map of weather forecast districts (reproduced on this page). Though the new boundaries and names probably will not please everyone, it is hoped that generally they will be regarded as an improvement.

WEATHER forecasts for some 20 districts were first broadcast in New Zealand shortly after the end of the Second World War. As far as possible boundaries between districts were based on meteorological considerwere oasea on mereoioiogicai consiuei ations and what appeared to be the most suitable names were given to the Sicte . . , The selection of appropriate names has never been easy. For example, the provincial districts, still shown on modern maps of New Zealand, are generally unsuitable as basic weather divisions, and the counties are too numerous and mostly too small to be used for defining weather districts. A

further complication is that some counties have the same names as provincial districts but different boundaries, and some well known districts, such as the Waikato and the Manawatu, are not really defined at diffirnltioq the all. in spite or these difficulties the Meteorological Service in the past has thought it better to use these well known names than to use unfamiliar names ’ On the new map the North Island is divided into four major regions— Northern, Central, Western, and Eastern Districts. The sub-districts into which these regions are now divided do not, in the north, east, and south

of the island, differ much from those previously used, but in the central

parts considerable changes have been made. Taumarunui, roughly the same as Taumarunui County, consists of parts of the old North Taranaki and National Park-Taihape. Taupo, approximately Taupo County, includes the southern part of the present RotoruaTaupo and part of the National ParkTaihape. The remainder, the southern part, of the Central Districts is now called Taihape. The boundaries of Waikato and Bay of Plenty have been moved southward, the latter to take in Rotorua. In the South Island, Marlborough is split into three sub-districts and Fiordland, previously part of Southland, is now in “the West Coast of the South Island”. South Otago has been extended north-westward and the district previously called Coastal Otago is renamed Dunedin. With the new map in front of them most listeners should have little difficulty in deciding which forecast to listen to. Those near a boundary should realise that the weather is often no respecter of fixed lines drawn on a map by the Meteorological Service and that it will be best to listen to forecasts for adjoining districts. With experience and careful observation people in this position will probably be able to decide for themselves which forecast most concerns them.