Wanted: One weather observer to record the hours of sunshine in Wanganui.
While the city has been basking in late summer sunshine over the past few weeks, it's hard to know exactly how much sunshine Wanganui has had because sunshine hours are not recorded here.
Georgina Griffiths, climate scientist atthe National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research [Niwa], said sunshine hours were the least often recorded of all weather statistics in New Zealand, because it had to be done manually.
"The old sunshine sensors look a bit like a crystal ball, with a card that has to be inserted in them every day. The sun burns through the card for each hour that it's shining. These cards are then sent back to Niwa."
The centres closest to Wanganui that do record sunshine hours are Stratford and Palmerston North. Ms Griffiths said that was probably because there was someone in those places who was willing and able to do the recording.
There is new technology that automatically records sunshine hours, but it was very expensive and not readily available.
"Wanganui isn't alone in not having sunshine hours recorded - there are many other places. There seem to be fewer all the time."
Ms Griffiths said solar radiation was the more common measurement used now, as it could be done automatically. Solar radiation is measured in Wanganui. "Solar radiation gives an indication of sunshine hours, but you can't use one to calculate the other. That's not comparing apples with apples."
Sunshine hours were recorded in Wanganui between 1972 and 1995 and Ms Griffiths did not know why the recording stopped in 1995. "Most likely it's because whoever was doing it stopped doing it. If we found someone in Wanganui who would record sunshine hours for the love of it, that would be wonderful."
