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Q1. In as few words as possible, compare and contrast these medium term weather reports.
Q2. Based on these reports, what would you do if you were a Northland famer?
NZ Herald 3/12/2010:
NZ Herald 7/12/2010:
Q2. Based on these reports, what would you do if you were a Northland famer?
NZ Herald 3/12/2010:
La Nina heatwave sweeps the country
New Zealand is in for a long, hot summer as La Nina hits our shores, says the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa).
Already, temperatures have soared across the country in late November, a pattern likely to continue until March, principal scientist James Renwick said today.
"In November, pretty much all of the country, the South Island and most of the North Island away from the coast, was quite a bit warmer than normal. Over summer, we're expecting things to be on the warmer side in most places," he told NZPA.
He said the current warm weather pattern - along with another La Nina heatwave in the late 80s - was the strongest in about 50 years.
New Zealand is in for a long, hot summer as La Nina hits our shores, says the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa).
Already, temperatures have soared across the country in late November, a pattern likely to continue until March, principal scientist James Renwick said today.
"In November, pretty much all of the country, the South Island and most of the North Island away from the coast, was quite a bit warmer than normal. Over summer, we're expecting things to be on the warmer side in most places," he told NZPA.
He said the current warm weather pattern - along with another La Nina heatwave in the late 80s - was the strongest in about 50 years.
The forecast: wettest summer in 21 years
The North Island is in for the wettest summer in 21 years - ending the recent dry spell which broke numerous heat records.
Weather Watch chief analyst Philip Duncan said the La Nina weather pattern which New Zealand was experiencing at the moment would bring heavy rain to the upper North Island.
"There has been all this talk about droughts, but really we have the wrong ingredients for a drought, although arguably we've had the right start to it."
The La Nina weather pattern has been warming oceans in the Pacific and warm oceans guarantee rain, he said.
"We've been experiencing all of the other symptoms of La Nina, except the rain which will be coming soon."
If this summer follows the pattern of the La Nina of 1988-89, the upper North Island and Auckland could expect to see drizzly weather and "pretty heavy rain" by the end of January, he said.
"Put it this way, if we don't have heavy rain by the end of January weather forecasters and scientists need to closely look at how we predict these events, because there's obviously something wrong."
This is good news for Northland farmers who are struggling with the extremely dry conditions.
The North Island is in for the wettest summer in 21 years - ending the recent dry spell which broke numerous heat records.
Weather Watch chief analyst Philip Duncan said the La Nina weather pattern which New Zealand was experiencing at the moment would bring heavy rain to the upper North Island.
"There has been all this talk about droughts, but really we have the wrong ingredients for a drought, although arguably we've had the right start to it."
The La Nina weather pattern has been warming oceans in the Pacific and warm oceans guarantee rain, he said.
"We've been experiencing all of the other symptoms of La Nina, except the rain which will be coming soon."
If this summer follows the pattern of the La Nina of 1988-89, the upper North Island and Auckland could expect to see drizzly weather and "pretty heavy rain" by the end of January, he said.
"Put it this way, if we don't have heavy rain by the end of January weather forecasters and scientists need to closely look at how we predict these events, because there's obviously something wrong."
This is good news for Northland farmers who are struggling with the extremely dry conditions.
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