Diurnal variations in precipitation frequency in New Zealand

Diurnal and annual precipitation variations for 58 weather stations distributed across New Zealand are analysed. For many stations an annual peak is observed in precipitation frequencies in winter and a diurnal peak is observed in the early morning. This is in line with previous studies from a much...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Weather and climate : journal of the Meteorological Society of New Zealand 2017-01, Vol.37 (1), p.2-10
Main Authors: Mol, A. J., Wratt, D. S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Diurnal variations
Hierarchical clustering (Cluster analysis)
Measurement
Meteorology
Precipitation (Meteorology)
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Summary:Diurnal and annual precipitation variations for 58 weather stations distributed across New Zealand are analysed. For many stations an annual peak is observed in precipitation frequencies in winter and a diurnal peak is observed in the early morning. This is in line with previous studies from a much smaller number of New Zealand stations. Station patterns are analysed using hierarchical clustering to reveal groupings of locations with similar patterns. This cluster analysis identifies differences in the peak time and diurnal pattern of rainfall frequency, associated with location and orography. The West coast of the South Island experiences the most frequent precipitation, due to prevailing westerly winds in combination with local orography. The South East of the South Island exhibits lower rainfall frequency and little seasonality. The central North Island and to a lesser extent the North coast experience relatively high precipitation frequencies in the afternoon, possibly caused by convection.
ISSN:0111-5499
2422-961X
DOI:10.2307/26735442