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Part 3 Climatology > NZ Climate > Flashcards

NZ Climate Flashcards

1
Q

Describe the orographic influences that affect Auckland airport?

A

IMMEDIATE area: LOW ROLLING HILLS and EXTENSIVE MUD FLATS at LOW TIDE;
COROMANDEL ranges EAST: Provide some SHELTER from EASTERLY winds PREVENTS LOW CLOUD BASE and HEAVY PRECIPITATION;
WAITAKERE ranges NORTHWEST: Provide SHELTER from WNW and STRENGTHEN WEST and SW WINDS

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2
Q

Describe the orographic influences that affect Wellington airport?

A

HIGH GROUND to NORTH and SOUTH produce OROGRAPHIC FUNNELLING through COOK STRAIT that acts NNW or SSE;
RIMUTAKA RANGES EAST and HILLS WEST provide ADDITIONAL FUNNELLING which influence LAND and SEA BREEZE;
HARBOUR area of PORT NICHOLSON NORTH and FITZROY BAY SOUTH airport UNOBSTRUCTED to wind

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3
Q

Describe the orographic influences that affect Christchurch airport?

A

PORT HILLS 15KM SOUTHEAST up to 2000ft;
SOUTHERN ALPS 90KM WEST;
CANTERBURY PLANE LARGE and FLAT;
COOK STRAIT

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4
Q

Describe the surface winds at Auckland airport?

A

Most COMMON: SOUTHWEST and NORTH-NORTHEAST(less);
SOUTHWEST: SPRING and SUMMER, 20KTS up to sustained 30KTS during PASSING of COLD FRONT;
NORTH-NORTHEAST: Throughout WHOLE YEAR;
GUSTS over 50KTS occur TWICE a YEAR
TROPICAL CYCLONE: SOUTHERN EDGE MOVES NORTHWEST to SOUTHEAST causing NORTHEAST WINDS which turn EAST and SOUTHEAST

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5
Q

Describe the surface winds at Wellington airport?

A

TERRAIN means SURFACE WINDS do NOT follow GRADIENT WINDS ABOVE FRICTION LAYER;
NORTHERLY and SOUTHERLY 98% of time;
NORTHERLIES: Associated with SOUTHERN TROUGHS or DEPRESSIONS moving EAST during SPRING/SUMMER. Accompanied COLD FRONT is PRECEDED by NW wind 50-60 KNOTS;
SOUTHERLIES: Associated with RIDGES of HIGH PRESSURE over SOUTH ISLAND and LOWS OVER or EAST of NORTH ISLAND, not as common but STRONG (30 KNOTS);
SUDDEN SOUTHERLY occurs when LINE SQUALL PASSES region, LASTS 30-40 minutes up to 50 KNOTS

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6
Q

Describe the surface winds at Christchurch airport?

A 
North-east/east
 Most frequent in summer –
Seabreeze is the major
contributing factor
 When 3000 feet wind blows
north north-west through to
North Northeast, surface wind
will be Northeast East. Most
common when anticyclone to
east or south-east of Canterbury
 North-west
 Hot dry fohn wind – hot and dry
bringing turbulence
 Most likely occurrence – ahead of
cold fronts moving from the
south-west
 When 3000 feet wind between
South Southeast and Southwest
surface wind – Southwest.
 Strength – exceed 20 kn
approximately 3% of the year.
Marginally less than 50% below
this speed are from the south or
south-west, the remainder from
north-west or north east.
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7
Q

Describe the sea breeze at Auckland airport?

A

MOST COMMON is SSW from late OCTOBER to late MARCH;
AVERAGE SPEED is 5-10 knots;
If PREVAILING WIND is SOUTH WEST breeze may INCREASE to 20-25 knots and VERTICALLY extend to 2000-3000ft AGL;
If PREVAILING WIND is N/NE breeze WEAKENS and becomes SHALLOW with STRONG SHEAR at 500-600ft

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8
Q

Describe the sea breeze at Wellington airport?

A

MOST COMMON between late OCTOBER and early APRIL, during hours of 0900 and 1800, SSW 6-12 knots;
REQUIRES small PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL between LAND and SEA which means it is NOT UNCOMMON to have SOUTHERLY and NORTHERLY at EITHER end of RUNWAY if PREVAILING is slight NORTHERLY;
If wind ABOVE FRICTION LAYER E/NE an established breeze will INCREASE to 12-14 knots due to SHIELDING from RIMUTAKA and TAURUA ranges to EAST and NORTH EAST of airport

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9
Q

Describe the sea breeze at Christchurch airport?

A

STRONGEST between OCTOBER and APRIL, NNE at 15 knots;
REQUIRES WEAK PRESSURE GRADIENT;
Establishes 1-2 HOURS AFTER SUNRISE, PEAKS 1 HOUR later, till 1-2 HOURS AFTER SUNSET

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10
Q

Describe the land breeze at Auckland airport?

A

COMMON in SUMMER and WINTER but STARTS LATER and is WEAKER in WINTER;
Blows ENE at 10-15 KNOTS starting at MIDNIGHT

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11
Q

Describe the land breeze at Wellington airport?

A

Occurs during ALL SEASONS as a NNE during WEAK PRESSURE GRADIENTS;
STRONGEST during COLD, STABLE, NIGHTS with assistance from KATABATIC winds from the EASTERN RANGES;
NOT UNUSUAL for land breeze to form, from MIDAFTERNOON in WINTER

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12
Q

Describe the land breeze at Christchurch airport?

A

Occurs on CLEAR NIGHT with a WEAK PRESSURE GRADIENT 1-2 HOURS AFTER sea breeze has SUBSIDED;
KATABATIC flow from ALPS CONTRIBUTES to STRENGTH;

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13
Q

Describe the turbulence at Auckland airport?

A

NO SURFACE FRICTION turbulence;

THERMALLY INDUCED turbulence in and AROUND nearby HILLS

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14
Q

Describe the turbulence at Wellington airport?

A

LANDING:
NORTHERLY: THROUGHOUT APPROACH and LANDING phase;
SOUTHERLY: THROUGHOUT APPROACH with SMOOTHER LANDING phase;
TAKE OFF:
NORTHERLY: TO 3000ft
SOUTHERLY: LITTLE/NIL CLIMBING out of LYALL BAY;
SEVERE TURBULENCE LOW LEVEL when COOK strait wind is 240°-290° which comes with significant SHEAR at 500-1000ft due to TERRAIN;
TURBULENCE is PROPORTIONAL to DEGREE of FLUCTUATIONS in WIND DIRECTION

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15
Q

Describe the turbulence at Christchurch airport?

A

Relatively FREE from turbulence with EASTERLY SEA BREEZE;
Turbulent if SEA BREEZE changes to NORTH WESTERLY;
With NORTH WEST PREVAILING, wind loses MOISTURE over ALPS and is VERY ENERGETIC causing LOW LEVEL wind SHEAR and MODERATE/SEVERE turbulence to GROUND LEVEL;
CONVECTIVE HEATING can produce MODERATE turbulence with associated CB ACTIVITY and HAIL

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16
Q

Describe the fog at Auckland airport?

A

Mainly RADIATION FOG between APRIL and late AUGUST when there is a HIGH over the area;
FORMS from 0300 and CLEARS by 0900 but can persist when formed over HARBOUR to MIDDAY;
If PREVAILING WIND is NNE LESS FOG as it is blown away;
If PREVAILING WIND is W/NW WAITAKERE’S provide shelter and it may form EARLIER 2200 and may CLEAR AFTER SUNRISE but a FOG BANK may linger in the CHANNEL;
When the LAND WARMS and GENTLE SW SEA BREEZE sets in the fog may be PUSHED back OVER AIRFIELD

17
Q

Describe the fog at Wellington airport?

A 
Uncommon — five days per year
on average
 Normally see fog originating off
the east coast of South Island
during southerly wind.
 Most occurrences January –
March
 Radiation fog formed in Hutt
Valley can be pushed by light
north-east wind to the airport —
very rare
18
Q

Describe the fog at Christchurch airport?

A 
Relatively high incidence – fortyfive days per year on average
 Radiation most common
 Clear nights with weak pressure
gradient – north-east wind
reduces to less than 5 kn and
changes to light Northwest drift
just prior to fog formation.
 Evening fog clears around
midnight and redevelops prior to
sunrise 
Advection fog, origin Pegasus Bay
to north-east of the airport or the
Waimakariri River to the north of
the airport - slight lifting off the
surface during the advection as it
approaches airport
 Occasionally, advection fog
sourced from Lake Ellesmere to
the south, less likely to lift off the
ground
19
Q

Describe the low cloud at Auckland airport?

A 
Most common cause – moist
north-east airstream – cloud base
of 5 – 600 feet and sometimes as
low as 300 feet. Can persist up to
24 hours. Cloud over the
Manukau heads than the airport.
 Slow-moving or stationary front
with a moist north-north-east
flow in advance, may have clout
to 300 feet with persistent and
heavy precipitation. Could last 12
hours.
 No garden precipitation from a
west or south west wind flow
usually requires the passage of a
wave depression or a lowpressure area lying to the south
and south-east of Auckland. This
is often an unstable flow so that
Cb activity and low cloud bases
can be expected
20
Q

Describe the low cloud at Wellington airport?

A 
Moist southerly air stream
 Light or moderate strength
 Low pressure system lies to North
or north-east of Wellington with
higher pressures over Canterbury
area, but not a large pressure
differential.
 A weakening tropical depression
moving down the east coast of
North Island can produce long
periods of low cloud.
 Moist northerly air stream
 Covers Cook straight with low
cloud but high ground north of
Wellington Shields airport and its
immediate environment – cloud
base generally higher than Cook
straight.
 Hills to the north sometimes
produce wave effect so that low
cloud bases are found only side –
not uniform.
If northerly flow due to front or
trough from the west low cloud 8
oktas over airport and South – on
the approach side of runway.
Strong wind, poor visibility and
rain
21
Q

Describe the low cloud at Christchurch airport?

A 
high-pressure Ridge to
East/south-east
 easterly drift advects low cloud or
sea fog from Ocean and Pegasus
Bay. 200 to 300 feet base is
common
 depression to east/north-east
 surface wind south-west overland
and south-east over sea – cloud
base normally 1000 to 1500 feet.
Airport may be kept free by
shielding from Banks Peninsula.
 After passing of cold front
 south-westerly winds have
commenced. Low cloud base –
1000 feet – lower ceiling towards
East due to Port Hills
22
Q

Describe the visibility at Auckland airport?

A 
Due to low cloud:
 Almost totally absent in summer
 Great frequency May to August
 North to North East with winds
less than 20 kn most common
cause
 Due to showers
 Of short duration – may affect
visibility 1 to 2 hours during a
frontal passage
 Pollution
 Significant impact when winds
are light, and air is stable
23
Q

Describe the visibility at Wellington airport?

A 
Low Cloud
 Generally due to southerly with a
strength of less than 20 kn
 January to March has poorest
conditions
 May to July generally optimal
 Reduced visibility due to
precipitation is less likely than
that of low cloud
 Heavy showers – visibility 1000 to
3000 m for short periods of time
24
Q

Describe the visibility at Christchurch airport?

A 
Northwest or Southwest winds –
no reduction in visibility
 East/north-east or South
Southwest – less than 20 kn
 Significant reduction due to low
cloud and drizzle
 Excess of 20 kn, low cloud and
poor visibility in South or
Southwest wind
 May to September – highest
incidences of low cloud and – or
poor visibility

Part 3 Climatology (3 decks)

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