뉴질랜드 6대 도시중 타우랑가가 역시 최고로 화창한 도시

타우랑가가 역시 뉴질랜드 6대 도시(city)중에서 제일 화창한 8월을 보냈다는 통계가 발표됐다.  

National Institute of Weather and Atmospheric Research (Niwa) 발표에 따르면 이스턴 베이 오브 플렌티의 화카타니(Whakatane)는 전국에서 가장 화창한 날씨(Sunniest) 총시간을 쌓고 있는 것으로 집계됐다.  

Sunniest city는 일조량이 아니고 낮에 해가 쨍쨍하게 떠 있는 화창한 시간을 합산 기록한다. 전국 도시마다 이 New Zealand's sunshine capital 명성을 획득하기 위해 조작까지도 한다는 보도도 있었다. 그만큼 뉴질랜드 라이프스타일에 서 태양이 반짝이는 날씨가 얼마나 중요한지 대변하는 것이다. 

이스턴 베이 오프 플렌티에 속하는 화카타니는 올해 8월말까지 총 1793시간 화창했고, 웨스턴 베이 오브 플렌티 중심 도시인 타우랑가(Tauranga)는 그 뒤를 이어 1622 시간, 남섬 북단의 넬슨(Nelson)은 1557시간, 테카포 호수는 1554 시간을 기록중이다.

지난해 1년간 통계를 보면 화카타니는 총2792 시간으로 sunniest 캐피탈 명성을 획득했고, 뉴플리머스(2668 시간), 그리고 기스본(2483 시간)이 그 뒤를 이었다.

오클랜드, 크라이스트처치, 웰링턴, 해밀턴, 타우랑가, 더니든을 포함한 뉴질랜드 6대 도시 중에서 단연 타우랑가가 최고 좋은 날씨로 명성을 유지하고 있다. 

특히 지난 8월중 위 6대 도시중 오클랜드 날씨는 가장 더웠고, 비가 많이 왔고, 구름이 낀 날이 가장 많았다.  크라이스트처치는 평균기온이 가장 낮았고, 건조했다. 

 

                           * 사진은 화카타니 옆의 Ohope 해변.   뉴질랜드 최고의 해변으로 꼽히는 곳이다.  

Whakatane remains sunshine capital of NZ

Whakatane looks set to keep its crown as New Zealand's sunshine capital, a new climate report shows.

The climate summary for August, released today by the National Institute of Weather and Atmospheric Research (Niwa), showed many parts of the country enjoyed a relatively dry and sunny month.

It was particularly sunny in Waikato, Southern Canterbury, Otago and the Bay of Plenty, 

where Tauranga received the most rays of any city.

Elsewhere, Queenstown experienced 186 hours - 155 per cent of normal - of sunshine during the month, the highest August total for this location since records began in 1930.

But Whakatane still remains the country's sunniest centre so far this year, basking in 1793 hours of sun this year and well ahead of Tauranga (1622 hours), Nelson (1557 hours) and Lake Tekapo (1554 hours).

The Eastern Bay of Plenty town was the country's sunniest spot last year, 2792 sunshine hours, ahead of New Plymouth (2668 hours) and Gisborne (2483 hours).

Christchurch also recorded the highest temperature of the month, with a reading of 23.6C taken at Riccarton on August 2.

At the extreme opposite of the thermometer, a record low of minus 7 was observed at Middlemarch, Otago, two days later.

On that same day, the highest level of rainfall in a single day occurred at Tologa Bay - a total of 157.2mm.

The report described the month as being characterised by "anomalously high pressure" south of Australia extending over and around New Zealand, which brought about strong southwesterly flow anomalies to the country.

Rainfall during August was highly variable across the country, while dry conditions prevailed in the Waikato, Bay of Plenty, and the north of the West Coast, which received below normal levels of rainfall.

Conditions were even drier in Tasman, Nelson, Marlborough and coastal Canterbury where rainfall levels were considered "well below normal", or below 50 per cent of normal.

As a result, several sites in these regions experienced near-record low rainfall totals for the month.

Near average temperatures observed in July meanwhile continued into August, with the majority of the country characterised again by near average temperatures.

Nationwide, only a handful of stations reported above average mean temperatures for August.

The nationwide average temperature in August was 8.7C, only 0.1C above the 1971-2000 August average from Niwa's seven station temperature series which drew on records stretching back to 1909.

Niwa's climate outlook for the next three months, released yesterday, showed temperatures were likely to average or above average in the North Island and top of the South Island, rainfall levels were likely to be normal, and the chances of an El Nino system developing over the period were lessening.

 

Walking on sunshine

Whakatane: 1793 (sunshine hours so far this year)
Tauranga: 1622 hours
Nelson: 1557 hours
Lake Tekapo: 1554 hours

 

For the record

The highest temperature was 23.6C, observed at Christchurch (Riccarton) on August 2.

The lowest temperature was -7C, observed at Middlemarch, Otago, on August 4.

The highest one-day rainfall was 157.2 mm, recorded at Tolaga Bay on August 4.

The highest wind gust was 189 km/hr, observed at Cape Turnagain on August 8.

- NZ Herald