Well, a confession - of sorts - to make, to clear up something. Subsequent to Dunedin's 'upgraded' temperature readings coming about a half-dozen (or 3) years ago now, our nightly tv temp (for the city's maximum for that day) is oftentimes, even usually, quite on the overtly and overly positive side of the meteorological ledger...that is, for what the vast majority of Dunedinites actually experience on a regular day-to-day basis. Yes indeed, I kid you not. How do I know this?
Many reasons - but primarily two. The first is, I'll concede, purely anecdotal, but in spite of which based upon literally years of - daily and nightly - observations in rather coolish, shady and therefore suitably accurate spots. And moreover in a suburb, Belleknowes - French for "beautiful hill" apparently, and it most assuredly is - and/or in a part over the past decade plus bordering both Mornington and Bradford - to fellow weather buffs one of Dunedin's warmest (suburbs) by night, and typically cool, indeed one of its coldest, by day. The critical point is that Belleknowes' ongoing, long-term temps have been unusually close - perhaps the nearest of any other city suburb - to the daytime and night-time temperatures long-established as constituting the city's average long-term minimums and maximums by the city's long-time Musselburgh Pumping Station. But the second reason is far less subjective.
Corroborated by good long-term acquaintance and much-more-than-mere-amateur weather buff Murray White, long-time resident of Halfway Bush - one of Dunedin's highest inhabited hill suburbs and generally 'above the snowline' (associated in telecasts on Dunedin's infrequent snow days with the infamous, often closed Three Mile Hill), Murray's tended to very much agree with me (indeed, often going much further) - or more aptly, in consideration of his expertise, myself with him - that since the switch to automated equipment yonks back now, itself coinciding with the whole global warming bandwagon, about which, again, he has far stronger and better argued views than me, the accuracy of said (nightly, on-screen) Dunedin readings has drastically declined. My own view, perhaps shared by Mr White, is that this has chiefly occurred in order to satisfy the sensibilities of Dunedin folk, in particular to placate the (well-intentioned if somewhat misguided) ongoing criticisms levelled at 'the (weather) powers that be' by certain vociferous, partisan and suitably patriotic, 'parochial' locals - people who, not without some general level of justification, believe "those folks up north" have it in for us southern dwellers.
But as Murray and I would contend - being ever of the fastidious melancholic temperament that we are - it's all about accuracy, stupid! And certainly in any other field of scientific endeavour one would hope for and indeed generally expect that the custodians of the various stats involved would tend not to conduct themselves in a footloose and fancy-free way with the truth. However arguably this is becoming increasingly questionable across an entire range of such disciplines in recent times, but don't you get me - and probably also Murray - started on that! Anyhow, unlike many, including Yours Truly, Mr White's weather commentary holds this distinct advantage: he's been one of the very few with proper meteorological equipment properly installed and read fastidiously through not only the years, but I believe at least 3-4 decades off-and-on (since he's moved back and forth from Hawkes Bay many years ago.) So perhaps he's entitled to commentate upon such matters - you be the judge. (And myself, well, at least such disclaimers and caveats establish me as not just 'ye typical southern whinger', but rather as someone with surely a smidgen, yea even a smattering, of knowledge, yes even expertise - of sorts - upon such eminently vital matters. And surely that counts for something - you'd hope.)
END of PART 3
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