August sunshine hours lowest in 20 years

Did you feel like the sun never shone in August, the rain kept falling and you're still waiting for those frosty mornings and brilliant sunny days?

Meteorological data collected from the Marlborough Research Centre's Grovetown campus confirmed last month was far from typical. Rain fell on twice as many days as usual and August sunshine hours were the lowest since 1990. The temperature was 1.7 degrees Celsius above average, half the normal number of days dawned frosty and conditions were the calmest for 15 years.

In the sunshine stakes, the 156 hours recorded was 88 per cent of the long-term average for August of 177 hours. This compared with 184 hours last year, 168 hours in 2008 and 209 in 2007.

Marlborough Plant&Food Research scientist Rob Agnew said rain fell on 19 days in August, almost double the number of rainy days usually recorded. The total 83.2 millimetres of rainfall recorded was 130 per cent of the average, but did not set any records.

In August last year 82.2mm fell, in 2008 131.4mm and in 2007 42.6mm.

The rain started falling in mid May bringing Blenheim's May to August total to 463mm – 184 per cent of the long-term average.

"This is the highest May to August rainfall on record for the 81 years 1930-2010," said Mr Agnew.

He noted a big turnaround from the end of April, when Blenheim's rainfall was 45 per cent of the average for the first four months of the year. Winter rain had boosted the total for the year to August to 550mm, 123 per cent of the long-term average of 446mm.

Total rainfall for the year to date exceeded the annual total in four of the previous 10 years, said Mr Agnew.

August was the fourth warmest on record for the 79 years from 1932 to 2010.

The 10.1C mean temperature was 1.7C above the August average of 8.4C.

Last year was the warmest August recorded at 10.9C, slightly warmer than September which recorded 10.8C.

The meteorological station recorded five ground frosts and one air frost in August compared to the 1986-2009 average of 11 ground frosts and four air frosts.

Last month was the calmest August for the 15 years from 1996 to 2010, said Mr Agnew.

Topsoil at the Grovetown meteorological station site had remained at field capacity for most of the last three months, said Mr Agnew.

"Warmer soil temperatures in September should result in abundant grass growth," he said.

- The Marlborough Express