March 2020

March Summary

Below average temperature, coolest since 2014, above average wind run and 59% of expected rainfall.

(March compared to my records from the past 10 years.)

  • This March is below my average temperature of 15.3C with 14.1C which is equal to 2014, the coolest in the past 10 years
    • The warmest temperature was 32.4C, just lower than my March record of 32.6C recorded in 2015.
    • The coldest temperature was 1.0C, the lowest March temperature I've recorded in 20 years records.
    • Twenty six days reached or exceeded 15C, my average is 30 days.
    • Eleven days reached or exceeded 20C, my average is 11 days.
    • Four days reached or exceeded 25C, my average is 7 days.
    • One day reached or exceeded 30C, my average is 1 days.
  • Wind run was 109% of my average of 4558km with 4971km.
  • The barometer recorded near average pressure for the month with 1016.2hPa. My average is 1015.9hPa.
  • Rainfall was the forth lowest I've ever recorded for March in the past 10 years, 59% of the average expected total of 57mm with 33.6m.
    • The previous dry March was 2019 with 22.2mm. 2001 is the driest March in my records with 5.8mm
    • The wettest March in the past 10 years and in my 20 years of records is 2014 with 167mm.
March 2020 Summary
Temperature
Mean 14.1 C
Mean Maximum 19.4 C
Mean Minimum 9.2 C
Maximum High 32.4 C (3rd)
Maximum Low 15.4 C (2nd)
Minimum High 12.2 C (29th)
Minimum Low 1.0 C (18th)
Wind Speed and Direction
Maximum Gust 59 km/h (23rd)
Mean 7.0 km/h
Wind Run 4971 km
Max Daily Windrun 272 km (6th)
Prevailing Direction East North East
Barometer
Maximum 1035.0 hPa (29th)
Minimum 989.5 hPa (23rd)
Mean 1016.2 hPa
Max Daily Change +24.9 hPa (4th)
Rainfall
Days with Measured Rainfall
(0.2mm or more)		 11
Max Daily Rainfall 20.6 mm (30th)
Monthly Rainfall 33.6 mm
Humidity
Maximum 96 % (Several Days)
Minimum 33 % (9th)

 

 March Daily Observations
TemperatureWindRainfallBarometer
DateMinMaxMeanMean
(Km/h)		Gust
(Km/h)		Run (km)Prevailing Dir10 Minute Max (mm)Total (mm)Min (hPa)Max (hPa)Change (hPa)
1 12.8 20.9 16.4 10.6 35 242 East Nth East 0 0 1020.9 1025.8 +4.9
Few morning clouds, cloud increasing in the afternoon. NE wind.
2 15.4 20.8 17.5 11.8 46 269 East Nth East 0 0 1010.4 1025.1 -14.7
Low cloud breaking from mid afternoon, fresh NE wind.
3 15.1 32.4 21.9 4.0 38 89 East Nth East 0.2 0.4 998.6 1010.1 -11.5
Cloudy and warm with variable winds tending NE. A period of light rain later in the afternoon.
4 9.0 17.3 13.5 10.8 39 247 South Sth West 0 0 1003.8 1028.7 +24.9
Cloudy morning, sunny intervals in the afternoon. Cool southerly wind.
5 3.9 18.4 11.7 5.7 32 130 East Nth East 0 0 1028.6 1032.9 +4.3
Clear and sunny with a cool NE wind.
6 7.9 19.0 14.2 11.9 44 272 East Nth East 0 0 1024.8 1032.7 -7.9
Sunny morning. High cloud increasing in the afternoon with fresh NE wind
New Zealand's cooked glaciers, spattered with bushfire ash
7 13.9 22.1 17.2 11.2 37 254 East Nth East 0 0 1011.3 1024.4 -13.1
Sunny morning, high cloud increasing in the afternoon with NE winds
8 10.4 22.4 16.1 5.8 25 131 East Nth East 0 0 1005.1 1012.6 -7.5
Sunny intervals, cloud increasing on the afternoon with a few spots of rain in the evening.
9 15.1 29.6 20.4 6.7 28 151 East Nth East 0 0 996.3 1004.7 -8.4
Cloudy with warm northerly winds in the afternoon.
10 11.6 17.2 14.2 11.4 35 260 South Sth West 0.2 0.8 998.7 1011.7 +13.0
Overcast with morning drizzle, with further light rain in the evening. Southerly wind.
11 10.6 14.8 12.1 9.0 31 206 South Sth West 0.2 0.2 1011.8 1022.3 +10.5
Light showers clearing early morning. Overcast with a cool southerly wind.
12 10.3 21.5 14.0 2.4 22 54 East Nth East 0 0 1022.5 1028.6 +6.1
Morning cloud breaking to a sunny afternoon with light southerly winds turning NE later in the afternoon.
South Island's December storm costs insurers $17m
13 9.5 18.6 13.9 6.2 34 143 East Nth East 0 0 1021.9 1028.6 -6.7
Variable cloud with NE wind.
14 14.0 19.5 16.0 9.1 33 201 East Nth East 0 0 1014.2 1021.6 -7.4
Morning cloud breaking to a sunny afternoon. NE wind.
15 12.1 19.3 15.6 7.6 44 172 East Nth East 0 0 1006.6 1017.1 -10.5
Mostly cloudy with NE wind freshening.
16 10.0 21.9 15.3 10.1 44 231 South Sth West 0 0 1005.2 1022.1 +16.9
Partly cloudy with a southerly wind freshening in the afternoon.
17 4.6 15.8 11.0 6.9 38 158 South Sth West 0 0 1022.4 1025.7 +3.3
Variable cloud with a few spots of rain at times, cool southerly wind.
18 1.0 17.2 9.7 5.2 31 117 East Nth East 0 0 1014.7 1025.1 -10.4
Cool start to the day, sunny with a cool NE wind.
19 7.9 26.3 16.8 2.7 21 61 East Ntn East 0 0 1003.8 1014.6 -10.8
Clear and sunny with light winds tending NE. 
20 9.8 13.8 11.6 3.5 28 78 South Sth West 0.2 0.2 1003.0 1018.9 +15.9
Overcast with occasional light rain. Light southerly winds turning north to NE later in the afternoon.
21 9.3 16.4 13.0 9.3 52 213 East Nth East 0 0 1001.9 1019.1 -17.2
Overcast with a few spots of rain at times, fresh NE wind.
22 7.4 27.8 16.4 3.0 24 69 West Nth West 0 0 1001.9 1009.4 +7.5
Few clouds, sunny and warm with light winds.
23 5.4 19.2 13.3 8.8 59 200 East Nth East 0.4 2.6 989.5 1009.0 -19.5
Morning cloud breaking in the afternoon. Cold southerly change at night with some rain.
24 1.1 12.8 8.1 5.4 44 121 South Sth West 0.2 0.2 999.5 1009.5 +10.0
Showers clearing by dawn. Overcast and cold with west to SSW winds. Few spots of rain later in the afternoon.
Snow blankets parts of the South Island as temperatures drop
25 3.8 17.7 11.6 7.2 38 165 East Nth East 0 0 1009.6 1014.8 +5.2
Sunny with a freshening NE wind in the afternoon.
26 8.6 23.7 15.2 3.0 29 67 East Ntn East 0 0 1007.3 1014.1 -7.1
Morning fog clearing to a sunny day with mostly light NE winds
27 9.9 13.4 11.8 10.1 48 230 South Sth West 0.2 0.8 1012.2 1025.8 +13.6
Overcast with light morning showers, cold southerly winds.
28 7.3 16.1 10.9 3.4 26 78 South Sth West 0.2 0.4 1025.8 1032.9 +7.1
Showers clearing by dawn. Mostly cloudy but some sunny intervals from late morning. Light southerly winds.
29 6.1 12.2 9.8 4.9 26 110 South Sth West 0.8 6.4 1029.9 1035.0 -5.1
Morning showers clearing by dawn. Overcast with showers returning in the afternoon.
30 10.2 15.7 12.6 4.8 27 109 East Nth East 2.6 20.6 1025.5 1029.7 -4.2
Showers, some heavy with light southerly winds turning NE from midday.
Rainfall leads to lifting of water restrictions in Christchurch, Banks Peninsula
31 12.2 18.8 14.6 5.6 23 128 East Nth East 0.2 0.6 1020.0 1025.7 -5.7
Showers clearing by mid morning, cloud breaking to a sunny and mild afternoon with light NE winds.

p>
March 2020 Temperature Graph
March 2020 Wind Dir Graph
March 2020 Wind Dir Graph
March 2020 Wind Speed Graph
March 2020 Rainfall Graph
March 2020 Barograph
March 2020 Humidity Graph