J07
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NZ going to have strong NW winds and heavy rain tomorrow due to ex-Funa. High humidity and warm temperatures making it fairly uncomfortable. Reports of air temps hitting 30C and dewpoints of 20C in places, with higher dewpoints (up to 23C) and lower temperatures further north. The sooner this thing moves on its merry way and brings back some fresher winds the better!
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The view from New Zealand:
Metservice say:
Situation for all New Zealand issued at 07:42am Saturday 19-Jan-2008
A ridge of high pressure lies over the South Island, and a tropical cyclone Funa just southwest of Fiji moves southwards, giving strong easterly winds over the North Island today and tomorrow.
The newspaper forecast today mentioned "some uncertainty" in the track, but likely to move southwards and to the West of New Zealand, and weaken. Then to weaken further as it crosses the central North Island on Tuesday/Wednesday.
AFAIK, the SSTs around NZ right now are at a maximum of about 21-22C.
Lots of people hoping for rain from this, hopefully it won't be too destructive though.
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the UK leads the owrld in drinking water quality.
Have you tasted the water in Bristol? :huh:
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When looking at the 18Z run yesterday I tracked a high pressure system that I think is called the azures high cross the atlantic and end up over the British Isles at the end of the run.
Looking at the 00z run this morning, the high pressure is at least 500 miles further south at the end of the run.
Why is there so much difference in the two runs and is the data used from a different source?
I don't know the specifics from a meteorological point of view, but the atmosphere is a highly non-linear system. In fact, pretty much everything in the world is non-linear, but sometimes we can approximate them as being linear. For example, a simple pendulum swinging is non-linear, but due to a fortunate "trick" it can be approximated as a linear system and that model works pretty well.
When it comes to the atmosphere, everything is interdependent, basically meaning it's a highly non-linear dynamical system. And it gets even worse. It can't be approximated linearly (please someone correct me if I'm wrong). And also it exhibits a phenomenon known as "chaos". Along with a few other tedious mathematical requirements, this means that a small change in initial conditions can lead to large, and unpredictable results.
I wish I could draw a picture to demonstrate this, but essentially, if you imagine a graph which is a straight, diagonal line, that is linear. Now, on the far left side of the graph, imagine that it starts just a little bit higher up. In a truly linear system, you will end up with an identical, parallel line which is just a small bit above the original one.
However, for a non-linear case, this very small initial perturbation will not produce a predictable result. It can set the resulting curve plunging low, oscillating down there is seemingly random fashion, then bursting up above the original line, oscillating for a bit more maybe, then going down some more, getting stuck in another pattern, then bursting out of that one. And so on.
The other problem is that non-linear systems can very rarely be solved analytically; this means that numerical methods are used. Essentially, this means that the "solution" to the initial problem is still just an approximation in itself, based upon some numerical iteration worked out by a computer.
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UV is an interesting one, in fact everything in NZ seems to be a fossil of its own long history. The Nikau was more widespread thousands of years ago than it is now, so we can assume the NZ landmass is moving south? (not sure for certain). Most interestingly is the colour of the naturalised (or semi naturalised) NZers they tend to be quite dark skinned, so I'd suggest the pattern in the growth and existence of Nikau palm species is mirrored through those relative of Maori people that may still exist in NZ today.
NZ is moving North along with Australia. I think there's a fair number of fair people (with "English skin" as they put it) over there, but you're right about those who do tan. The tan can persist throughout winter, and by the end of September/ start of October the UV is already hitting about 5 or 6 again. So it makes sense that they can retain darker skin tone.
Like you said the UV isnt that impressive on the whole in the south with a UV of 2/3 but perhaps if you take quality (clearness of air, and lack of nucliide particles in the atmosphere), a sharpness of light may help the Nikau survive, and perhaps help the Maori descendents keep there browner skin?)I think about 95% of Maori live on the North Island anyway. UV there is above 10 from November until February, roughly. Though I believe there are few "true" Maori around now, just like most races there has been interbreeding.
Also I wonder if NZ become an overpopulated, overpolluted country, would that have any effect on that light quality?Interesting one....
I guess we'll never find out!
I do believe that the UV in summer in NZ is so high because of its excellent air quality, if you take the Mediterranean on a similar lattitude they have UV of around 9-10 in high summer.On the note of air quality, some cities issue air pollution warnings in winter and track the air pollution on a daily basis. This is just because of their prevailing local weather conditions and also because open fires are still so common! I've managed to find a weather forecast showing this (attached). You can see the air pollution readings they take at Christchurch. Conveniently, this forecast is for the last day of winter- and it states a total of 13 high air pollution nights for that winter in total. You can also see the effect the main divide of the southern alps has on the weather there.
Another danger with the sun in NZ is the relatively low air temperatures. As an example, yesterday Wellington only got to 15C, pretty poor for the time of the year, meaning people may not adequately prepare themselves for sun exposure. (The UV index was 11). I'm not sure I subscribe fully to this argument, as to me it's abundantly clear when my head is getting caved in by the sun, even if it may be cool standing in the shade. But if you are born and raised in such an environment, it's likely that you won't notice how strong the sun actually is.
Having a look at this http://www.sunsmart.org.nz/uv-radiation--i...ndex-(uvi).aspx , the sun is currently ranging from 10 in the South to 12 in the North.
It's nothing compared to Australia though:
http://www.bom.gov.au/weather/national/charts/UV.shtml
16 in Melbourne!
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Just to come back to the "quality of light" you mentioned. What, specifically do you mean by this? Actually, I find this an interesting subject in its own right. We all know about the "softness" of the British light, especially apparent at this time of the year. But if you go to NZ in July, you would not be able to judge the season by the light, as it's still very sharp and the colours well-defined. I presume this is what you meant by quality?
But, the UV in an NZ winter is still going to be quite low, and the growth of the Nikau may have already shut down for the winter anyway (I don't know this for sure, not familiar with the seasonal growing habits of temperate palms). But since it's UV that is required for photosynthesis, I don't see how an index of 2 (NZ winter) will make that much difference over a UV index of 1 (UK winter). Of course, it's greater (double, I presume?), but they are still both very low and surely not sufficient for any real kind of growth.
However, an argument could be made for improved "quality" of light in NZ in summertime, over ours. Again, it really depends on how we define quality. Looking at the UV, there is a study which showed that the UV at an NZ site is approximately 41% greater than at a site of equivalent latitude in the US. Apparently, this relationship also holds true for Europe. The study also claimed roughly a 2% increase in UV for a 1 degree decrease in latitude.
Just for a quick estimation, using these figures for the capitals. Wellington is at about 41S, London 51N. Accounting for the latitude difference and the 41% anomaly we end up with a UV difference of 73%. This sounds astonishingly high to me, I hope I did my sums right. As the UV Index scale is apparently not logarithmic (thank God) this would mean, say, for a UV index in high summer in London of 8 we would have Wellington at 13 or 14- assuming the same day, weather conditions etc etc. If this sort of difference persisted for a few months, then I would hazard a guess that it would have a vast effect on the growth of plants. Roughly speaking, Wellington, with a latitude similar to New York City, would have a UV more akin to the Florida Keys, roughly 2000km further south. But this is based on an extrapolation from data taken from latitudes 40N-47N. I've no idea if the relationship remains linear as we approach the tropics.
Just to clarify, what I've stated above is just a rough working out based on thin scatterings of knowledge. I don't know enough about plant biology to be sure about my claims of increased growth due to increased UV. For all I know, beyond a certain level it may become a limiting factor. I also just did the UV calculation based on the index itself, not the actual power per unit of wavelength, the information to which I do not have access of course.
So getting back to it; there is then the quality of light issue in summertime. Without a scientific basis, and just on personal experience, I believe that UV and QoL are separate entities. Even with an index of only 1 or 2 in winter, on a cloudy day, I always found that it was not possible to look above the horizon without squinting torturously or putting on sunnies. This became a real pain in the I have a problem to be honest. This was independent of the height of the sun or the direction in which I was looking. Hence I believe this QoL does not rely on UV. I suppose it has something to do with fewer particulates and pollution in the air in general, as opposed to the relative lack of O3 the SH is known for.
Still, my presumption is that the QoL difference is greatest in winter (as you originally stated). I am not sure if there is such a big difference in summer, although I believe that one does exist.
Well, anyway, hope I'm not miles off the mark with what I've said. It's an interesting discussion for sure. You know a heck of a lot more about meteorology and plants than I do so hopefully you can help fill in the gaps in my knowledge!
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True enough, but the strength/quality of the sunshine when it does get it probably helps - much better than ours in the winter
Doesn't growth stop in winter though? And also, they can grow in places that get no sun in June/July.
Im sure I read some data which showed that the average winter minimums in NZ as a whole have been declining recently, but it was a few months ago and Ive forgotten already! Best being critical about that one.No, you might be right about this. I remember reading something about how SSTs around NZ had warmed throughout the 20th century, as expected, but in the last decade they have been cooling slowly. So this could link to declining minima, especially on small islands like the Chathams.
Well you only have to look at there closest relative in the palm world Cocos Nucifera, to understand why they are so fussy. They are an endangered species, thatswhy I think its important to replicate the coditions it grows in, in another country.Ah, I didn't realise they were that closely related. "Nikau" apparently means "Empty cocount". The first polynesian settlers must have been pretty upset!
At the moment, their southern limit is maybe 43S, and the country stretches right up to about 34S. If SSTs did continue falling, I think that the groves on the west coast would be more insulated against this as the Tasman Sea is warmer than the Pacific anyway.
Are they really classed as an endagered species?
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I'd agree with all the above, and particularly about NZ. That said I think subtropical is difficult to define and may need to sectored into 3 groups such as: warm subtropical/average subtropical/cool subtropical. I think North NZ would fit into the latter.
Can you think of any examples? Say, North NZ is cool....maybe Sydney then average, and Brisbane warm. But then I think the gap between North NZ and Sydney is maybenot big enough. Perhaps, North NZ/Sydney would be cool subtropical, Brisbane average subtropical and Rockhampton warm subtropical.
Then there is actually subtropical or subtropical-like.I think the Scilly Isles and Chatham Islands could put a strong case in for being subtropical-like.
I think most NZ'ers would scoff at that. Chatham Islands' weather is something of a minor joke (along with Southland and Coastal Otago). If I have my facts right, it's less sunny than London. Regardless of moderate temperatures, I just can't see somewhere with sunshine hours of 1400 claiming to be subtropical-like.
It pains me to see that the Chatham Islands Nikau palm may struggle to survive if they keep getting lower temperatures. Maybe its time to introduce it to the Scilly Isles on a large scale, if to safeguard its future, and I think the Scilly Isles are the only place it will grow in the UK mainland (even though some where wiped out in the 80's), and have the best chance.Are their temperatures going down? Interesting...
Scilly Isles rarely go below 6C in the most potent cold spell.Sounds reasonable, but their lowest recorded temperature of -5C is quite amazing. How did that happen?
Tresco would be an ideal place to harbour some of NZ subtropical species. I would say Nikau is a subtropical species, as it is only hardy to winter minimums of -3C which I believe is Zone 10 (and it doesnt mind being in the dark conditions)It would be good, but maybe not truly ideal, though certainly the best place in the UK. I still don't really understand why they are so fussy in their native land. They seem to cluster in groves, and everyone talks about how hard it is to grow them and that they mostly don't bother. I heard this just 2 miles from where there was a fantastic stand of them. And it was flat, coastal plains around a North facing bay, sheltered by ranges to the south, east and west. Plenty of rain, plenty of sun, mild winters and warm summers. I just don't get it. I begin to wonder whether it has something to do with soil type, or perhaps in some places they just get crowded out as they are such slow growers.
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I mean Max, but then again a place with temperatures below 10C as a summer average min it would be hard to class as subtropical.
The highest temperature for offshore waters is about 18C, then highest for inshore waters might be about 20-22C in shallow water
The other problem is that can you only label subtropical to areas in the subtropics (15 deg N/S of the tropic of cancer/capricorn)?
I think we can safely say that the UK has potential subtropical style weather, but will never be classed as subtropical.
However that doesnt mean that subtropical plants (USDA zones 9-10) cant be grown in this country.
However you could argue New Zealand is subtropical! (very similar climate the the Scilly Isles)
The upper limit of approx 30* latitude sounds quite sensible.
I have always marvelled at the US hardiness zones, we can get placed in quite a good zone because of our maritime climate, but I think we lack the real summer heat that allows subtropicals to truly thrive.
Off the top of my head, an example might be passionfruit. I know they will grow here, but will they fruit consistently? IME, they won't. In theory I believe we could grow avocadoes in certain areas, although the recent long period of frosts might cause them to drop their foliage and possibly never recover. Again though, I don't know that they would fruit. Likewise, tamarillos (the world's tastiest fruit!), although I believe they are even more marginal. The list goes on with bananas, tomatoes and eggplants. To greater or lesser extent, they can all grow here, but when it comes to thriving and fruiting, you may get lucky with some small bananas, and really I think we need more sunshine to properly ripen tomatoes and more heat in general for eggplants.
I should not complain too much as it's really great to see some of the things we can grow in our gardens here. The last 10 days may have really tested a number of the more underprepared specimens though!
I wouldn't really class New Zealand as subtropical, though the tourist brochures often disagree with me! I remember one region being described as such...then in winter I was crunching around on frost on the beach.
This happened during the following spell of weather:http://www.metservice.com/default/index.ph...eature_aug_2007
An interesting read; it was this that resulted in the NZ winter minimum of -15.4C and multiple frozen lakes for people to go curling.
Northland would be a classic subtropical area I suppose, with the very Northern tip having an annual mean in the region of 16.1C-18C. Though most towns there miss out on the Koeppen (the warmest month mean would only be about 20C) their winters are classic, averaging highs of something near 16C with mild nights and a lot of rain. In other words, the sort of wonderful wintry weather that the likes of WiB desire
I'm not sure how it compares to the Scilly Isles. I'm sure there's a random island somewhere off the coast that matches it very closely, but likely it wouldn't have a weather station!
So in piecemeal fashion
:If we're going on averages alone (Scilly annual mean is about 11.3C), then temperature wise the Chatham Islands (off the east coast at about 43S) would be almost spot on, but are not sunny enough.
Scilly summers seem about the same as those in Invercargill. Most populated NZ areas have average maxes above 10C in winter, you have to go inland and upwards to get single digit maxima but then you'd lose the humidity. Therefore I'd hazard that Scilly minima are similar to Auckland, with the maxima more like Fiordland (both are humid and wet).
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we have got overbecks just 3 miles as the crow fly's, which is full of sub tropical plants which survive and thrive.
How do you define "subtropical plant"?
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I would say it probably needs to satisfy the following:
- Winter Temperatures not going below 0C or rarely going below 0C
- Summer Temperatures above 15C
- Year round humidity above 60%
- Sea Temperatures above 16C year round.
By summer temperatures, do you mean max, min or average?
I suppose the last point rules out anywhere in the UK though by a long way.
BTW, what's the highest sea temperature the UK waters will get to? About 17/18C?
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I saw a chap on the TV last night going for a swim off the Scilly Isles, to demonstrate the existence of the gulf stream. Unfortunately for him, he chose to do it in Spring.
It had me thinking about the sort of climate that those little islands experience. So in the fashion of the lazy internet generation I consulted google. I could only find one weather station:
http://www.wunderground.com/NORMS/DisplayI...&Units=both
To summarise, February is 7C/8C whilst August is 14/18C. As expected, the climate is very moderate and max/min temperatures do not vary much.
In terms of sunshine hours:
http://www.scillyonline.co.uk/weather.html
Giving us 1805 hours per year (if my calculator works correctly). This is good for this latitude, and puts it almost on a par with places like Eastbourne.
That page also tells us the minimum temperature recorded is -5C, lower than I would have expected, to be honest.
Whilst looking up this climate I came across all sorts of travel pages raving about the "subtropical" climate of the Scilly Isles. Now, I have also come across these claims for the Torbay area.
As far as I can see from the statistics, the climate of the Scilly Isles does not strike me as "subtropical"- which is a word I've always associated with the lights of Brisbane and Orlando.
The summers are quite cool, but sunny. Winters, yes, are extremely moderate and frosts are rare. So, it comes down to:
How do we define "subtropical"?
I have heard varying definitions. Some that require a frost free area, whereas others, like the Koeppen definition look at the temperatures and rainfall. We can probably assume that the Scilly Isles very rarely get frosts.
The Koeppen definition asks for the coldest month to average over 0C. OK, basically *everywhere* in the UK satisfies this! It also needs constant year-round rainfall. I don't know rainfall stats for these isles but we can probably assume that they are met. However, we also need the warmest month to average over 22C. But, there is nowhere in the UK that comes anywhere near to this. It's hard enough finding somewhere that has daily maxima averaging over 22C. And, if anything, the Scilly Isles, with a 24hr mean of 16C, are much further from this 22C boundary than many other places.
Apparently, they have palms growing on the islands, along with other tropicals and subtropicals. Obviously, there's no doubt that these plants survive, but I seriously wonder whether they thrive. We see palms all over the place outside of the tropics. I suppose it depends on the species, as some can tolerate very cold temperatures, others can not.
So, what does subtropical really mean? Is the above definition fairly standard? Is "frost-free" a better requirement? Or, is it the case that there is no real standard? I just see that tourist boards can pick up on this, and that they can advertise their place as being subtropical, then the tourists come along one early afternoon in mid-August to be greeted by 14C and heavy rain.
Basically, is subtropical a weasel word, or does it have real meaning to meteorologists and climate scientists?
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At the moment, if you click onto the BBC weather site, you're invited to take part in a survey of the site; this includes an opportunity to give some written feeedback on what you think of the graphics etc.
Not a bad opportunity to let them know what you like or dislike about the site.
Regards,
Mike.
I had that the other day, but they were unable to allocate me a survey. Gutted.
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The BBC have overcooked the maxima today. For my town, they were predicting 9C max. At 2PM it is currently 6C.
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None of the links work for me.
Old links (from 2005)
The first easterly mentioned:
http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00119971215.gif
http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/19...00219971215.gif
You can choose the date you want as the format on that site is quite simple /ra/yyyy/Rrea001yyyymmdd.gif
00 is the run and the number after that is the chart type.
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I think it's a splendid feeling in winter, feels quite surreal. In summer though, less fun...."the hot summer wind that drops torrents on the west coast, then rips across the plains, sucking the soil dry, snapping tempers and distoring television reception".
The effect on farming can be quite negative. In winter, when there is not much grass, any feed that is put out for stock can be blown away entirely. And then in spring, lambing season, if there is a succession of fohn winds it will be too dry for grass to grow and you end up with serious problems at a very important time of the year. Then there's the fire risk in summer, and the possibility of any exposed top soil being blown out to sea.
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Whoever said that should be publically hanged.
I thought that they all say it, sooner or later. Seems fairly common anyway!
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Cliched BBC weather forecast, circa mid January:
Well it's been a lovely frosty morning for many of us, just look at all the blues in this chart, and there was even some wintriness for the Scottish hills. BUT, there will be a change as we head into the weekend, just look at what the Atlantic has in store for us, and that will be pushing into Western regions of Friday evening, and will be effecting much of the country throughout Saturday with persistent falls for Eastern and central regions and a band of showers lingering in the West. Behind that, Sunday will be a very blustery day with frequent heavy showers for most areas. Looking ahead to early next week, more rain coming in from the West with some heavy falls predicted on Tuesday. And this theme looks set to continue for the rest of the week. So, Huw, wet and windy for all of us, BUT AT LEAST IT'LL BE MILD."
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Does the UK have statistics for the coldest ever wind chill recorded?
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http://www.niwascience.co.nz/ncc/cs/monthly/mclimsum_07_10
- Wind: Much more wind than normal, with frequent gales from the westerly sector
- Temperature: Well below average in the South Island and parts of the North Island, above average in Hawke’s Bay and parts of the north
- Rainfall: Above normal in many regions, especially in the South Island.
- Sunshine: Near or above normal in most regions
October 2007 was rather stormy and generally cold with deep depressions tracking south of New Zealand and frequent westerly gales. This was the equal 4th windiest October overall in regard to westerlies in measurements that commenced in 1966. Wind gusts over 130 km/h were recorded on 13 days (42%) in the month. In fact, many stations had at least 7 more days with strong winds (with gusts to 60 km/h or more) than is average for the time of year.
Temperatures were below average throughout much of the South Island, and the southern North Island. In contrast average or above average temperatures occurred in the north and east of the North Island. The national average temperature of 11.7 ºC was 0.5 °C below average.
Rainfall was almost 200 percent (twice) of normal in parts of north Westland, at Hanmer Forest, and inland parts of north Canterbury, and above normal in many other regions, especially in the South Island. Only in the Far North was rainfall about 50 percent (half) of normal. This produced soil moisture surpluses in Fiordland, Gisborne, and Wairarapa. Significant soil moisture deficits (more than 110 mm) occurred toward the end of the month in parts of Marlborough and Central Otago (normal for the time of year).
The month was much sunnier than usual in Northland, Gisborne, north Canterbury, Otago, and Southland
I find it worth contrasting with April 2007 in the UK.....obviously quite different! Our April was, of course, warm, dry and sunny....NZ's October was anything but! (Though sunshine hours were average or above average).
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/2007/april.html
Comparing:
Max Temp: UK April = 26.5C, NZ Oct = 27.2C
Min Temp: UK April = -3.7C*, NZ Oct = -6.2C
Mean Temp: UK April = 10.2C (3.5C above normal), NZ Oct = 11.7C (0.5C below normal).
I find this surprising....a cool NZ is still significantly warmer than a record breaking UK?
*The lowest mentioned on the Meto's site, but I don't know if it was the absolute minimum actually recorded.
- Wind: Much more wind than normal, with frequent gales from the westerly sector
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I find I can't cope with too much heat, and I hate not being ale to breathe in some nice fresh air when it is warm and muggy.
Too right! In equatorial areas it's just ridiculous. Singapore seems a nice place, but how on earth do people live there?! "Like living in a microwave" was one, all too apt, description I once heard.
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I tend to be interested in almost any sort of weather. The only one I genuinelly dislike is grey skies and calm hanging around for days. In winter I like to look on the horizon and see dark clouds promising snow. (Sadly too rare).
In summer I do like the odd blast of horribly humid, hot weather, although frankly British houses are torture to live in during these periods. I prefer it cooler and drier, although balmy evenings are really lovely during the humid spells.
Autumn....I would say what we have now is close to perfect! For once, no one is complaining about the leaves failing to change or drop! It's been a slow, gradual process, with a good mixture of all sorts of lovely autumnal weather.
Springtime, I think is a great time of year. Every single time, I hang on and think, when will the change happen? And as always, it's rarely a sudden thing, it's always gradual and you can never quite put your finger on when winter is over. This year, admitedly was pretty odd though! One thing I love is at the end of Feb, people delight in the end of winter....er hold on! There's still March to come! Rarely do I consider March to be real Springtime. At least, not the early part. Snow is quite common for us then, as are low temperatures.
In NZ, my expectations are different, since snow is basically impossible (in Wellington). I like a long, warm summer with lots of sun. 20C is perfectly sufficient for me. It allows you to basically do anything you want outside, and if the sun is blazing at UV index higher than 12 (fairly common in NZ) then any temperature above 25C is quite intolerable. How Aussies cope I'll never know!
In winter there, a quality blast of southerly air is simply marvellous. Refreshment.....ah!
Probably my favourite NZ weather is the Nor'Westers, which are pretty common. Standing on the lee side of mountains, getting puffed by hot air makes some people quite irritable but I find it very interesting, although horrible to work outside in. On the coastline, it really is marvellous, gusty, warm, humid air blowing straight at you. I could spend my life in it.
If I had to choose one favourite month....I would cheat and choose the last 2 weeks of May combined with the first 2 weeks of June. In a good year, it is almost unbeatable for me. Temperatures can often hover in the low 20s (perfect), lots of sunshine, quite mild nights (but not stifling), and of course very long days! Only crimp is hayfever, I get it bad for a few days around this time, but rarely does it spoil my enjoyment of the period as a whole.
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But that said at the altitude of some of the peaks in aviemore for example I'd have thought you could get snow for most of the year. If the setup was right.
I reckon that on the summits of the highest Scottish hills you could get snowfalls in any season. Can anyone confirm this?
But to have a permanent snow cap, you'd probably need to be looking at peaks of over 1500-2000m (this is a guesstimate), of which there are none in the UK.
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johnholmes, thanks. I have amended my profile to reveal myself as a taffy!
I think NZ had a pretty mild, settled autumn in general. Christchurch was exceeding 30C at the end of March. And was also exceeding 20C in May. Also, their first day of winter was milder than their first day of summer (by 6C)!
It's interesting to see that on 31st August the NZ high was only 0.5C lower than the UK high on the same day (well, according to the BBC). Pretty amazing considering one country was in late summer and the other late winter.
Just from memory it would appear that the mean 24 hour Spring temp in the UK is about the same as the mean 24 hour Winter temp in NZ. I think both are around and about 8C, or so.
(I have a head for facts and numbers I'm afraid).
Kiwi, I have driven past Waipu. I think it had a lot of Scottish settlers historically. It seemed a nice location to me, on a plain between a hilly range to the South and Whangarei (and many good beaches) to the North. I imagine that they are quite prone to flooding though.
Northland is known as "The Winterless North", though this description is more common for the Far North district. This is due to the temperatures, certainly not the lack of rain!
As for being wet, windy and overcast, Northland is not supposed to have cloudless days at any time of the year, and it definitely would not get crisp winter days (or nights for that matter). Rain is just the price that you pay for living on a thin finger of frost free land jutting into the sea, and for having very pleasurable mean daily maxes of 15C in winter and 24C in summer
I think NZ was hit with El Nino in spring and early summer, and summer ended up being cool. However, a cool Northland summer would still be warmer than a normal British one. However, maybe your Dad is missing those lovely cloudless British summer days that we can get (except for in 2007!).
This happened during the following spell of weather:
:
Monday 21st January 2008
in Weather reports
Posted
Wellington city,
Temperature: 22C
Humidity: 86%
Wind: N 6kmh^-1
11:20PM
Yuck.