The summer rainfall in Marlborough, as you might have expected, has hit a new peak, the highest since Eric Gilbert launched his weather station in 1984.
“ With a total of 328mm, it was 183 per cent of the long-term average, superseding the previous record of 305mm for the summer of 2007,” he told Marlborough News Online.
“The frequency of heavy rainfall is not surprising as with global temperatures rising the air can contain greater quantities of moisture and, I understand, that globally it now contains four per centmore than it did in the 1970’s.”
“Although the wettest months in Marlborough over a 28-year period are November, December and January respectively, the highest daily totals are in the summer when daily temperatures are much higher.”
“With a total of 108.8mm August 2012 was the fourth wettest with 171 per cent of the long-term average, this follows large totals in recent years with 104mm and 108mm in August 2008 and 2010 respectively.”
He added: “The highest daily totals have also occurred in recent years with 41.7mm in August 2012 and the 45.4mm in May 2007. The trend is upward for more modest falls of 10mm or greater by four a year since the 1980’s.
“Records were set in September when the barometric pressure dropped to a very low 984.4Mb and the diurnal maximum temperature (daily range between minimum and maximum) with a difference of 25.3 degrees centigrade.”
