We have probably all seen TV or www news of the Auckland floods of a week ago tomorrow.
I have assembled the links below and also listed points A to F to provide some perspective.
No news items mention basic facts that –
[A] – Rain gauges were very sparse in the 1800’s and pre-WWII compared to today.
[B] – Unbuilt vegetated land and natural bush that would have soaked up rainwater and impeded water flow was much greater in area in the 1800’s.
[C] – Tarmac, roads and buildings that increase the rate of runoff were greatly less in the 1800’s and pre-WWII.
[D] – It would be doubtful that custodians of the few rain gauges in the 1800’s and pre-WWII were systematically noting rain over periods shorter than one day.
[E] – So making claims about recent rain when we have dozens and dozens times the rain gauges now than we did in the 1800’s risks conclusions that are unscientific.
[F] – Research into early newspaper archives should reveal reports of rainfall causing floods which may add to data to compare with recent times.
Auckland sets new all-time daily rainfall record – Jess Miskelly, 28 Jan 2023, 1:07 PM AEDT
www.weatherzone.com.au/news/auckland-sets-new-alltime-daily-rainfall-record-/1069729
Three people dead and at least one missing as rain pounds Auckland 28Jan23
www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-28/three-people-dead-one-missing-as-rain-pounds-auckland/101903134
New Zealand’s north island hit by flash floods, landslides for third day, as death roll rises to four 29Jan23
www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-29/auckland-starts-clean-up-after-deadly-flash-floods/101904116
More heavy rain expected for New Zealand’s flood-ravaged Auckland 31Jan23
www.abc.net.au/news/2023-01-31/more-heavy-rain-expected-for-new-zealand-s-flood-ravaged-aucklan/101910300
Auckland’s historic flooding explained in five charts 31Jan23 by Marc Daalder
www.newsroom.co.nz/sustainable-future/aucklands-historic-flooding-explained-in-five-charts
It could have been mentioned re the last chart that the UHI(Urban Heat Island) effect would be adding to warmth in Auckland.
Marc Daalder is to be congratulated for venturing into the subject area of charting rainfall data which is rarely seen in the main-stream-media.
Good on you Marc. However it is a shame NIWA took 1965 as a starting point when I bet Kiwis have been recording rainfall for at least a 100 years before that.