Bob's Blog 31 Dec 2023

Bob McDavitt's ideas for sailing around the South Pacific.
Disclaimer: Weather is a mix of pattern and chaos; these ideas are from the
patterned world.
Compiled Sunday 31 December 2023

CONGRATULATIONS TO KEVIN TRENBERTH granted a New Year award to be a
Companion of the NZ order of merit for services to Geophysics (Climatology).


Tonight, the calendar ticks over to 2024.
We seem to start our calendar year at a strange part of our orbit around the
sun. I like to think of each solar orbit having four corners, and it would
be logical to choose one of these corners to start the year.
Logically the four corners are the two equinoxes and the two solstices.
Indeed, before Roman times March 21st (Spring equinox) was taken to be the
start of the year. But around 700 BCE King Numa Pompilius (the second of 7
Kings before Rome become a Republic) switched that to the start of January
(their god of new beginnings) rather than March.. ruled by Mars, their god
of war). Anything for a quieter life.

This has continued to mark the start of the solar year. Even so, there are
several festivals around the world that are triggered by solstice and
equinox. The most notable is in the timing of Easter--- which is triggered
by the date of the passive rand is the first Sunday after the Paschal moon
which is the first full moon after the March Equinox.

Here is a list of festivals based on the "four corners" of the year:

When Who/Where What Why

From 5 Jan to end of Feb China Harbin Ice Mid winter

8 to 14 Jan India Kite Festival Peak wind

28 Jan Japan Wakakusa Yamayaki Grass fires to drive away boars

31 Jan Scotland Up Helly Aa end of winter yule

4-11 Jan Japan Sapporo Snow ice sculptures

2 Feb USA Groundhog Day pre-spring.

5 Feb USA Weatherperson's Day/John Jeffries Birthday

5-19 Feb Taiwan Lantern Festival end of Lunar new year

16-22 Feb Bolivia Oruro Carnival precursor to Lent.

21 Feb New Orleans Mardi Gras Shrove Tuesday.

17-25 Feb Brazil Carnival Pre lent.

8 March India Holi start of spring.

23 March UN World Meteorological Day

2-6 April Bhutan Paro Tshechu Spring

2-8 April Guatemala Semana Santa Spring/Holy week

Early May Boun Bang Fai Rocket Day Thailand/Laos Spring

22 June Peru IntiRaymi Solstice

28 June (2024) NZ Matariki Mid (southern) winter

Early July US The Dog Days (Sirius) Mid (northern) summer

15 July UK St Swithin's Day predicts next 40 days of rain

Mid Sep to early Oct full moon China Mook cake day/Harvest moon full moon
after equinox

Late December old Norse word YULE Tide /Christmas Solstice

YULE tide is a phrase referring to the "12 nights of Christmas" but
originally was, probably, taken from a Norse name for feasting to mark
mid-winter solstice.

TROPICS
All looks quiet for the start of 2024
The MJO, a burst of extra energy in the tropics, is now weakening and
leaving the Pacific, so the next few weeks should be quieter than normal.

WEATHER ZONES
The South Pacific Convergence zone is expected to have a quiet week and
mainly be between Solomon Islands and Suwarrow.

HIGHS and LOWS
Low L1 crossing NZ on New Years eve is expected to move off to the east
followed by HIGH H1 crossing NZ mid-week.
Low L2 is expected to form east of Tasmania on Wednesday and reach central
NZ around Friday 5 January.
Showery at times this between in North Tasman between Brisbane and Noumea.
Avoid.

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If you would like more details about your voyage, then check metbob.com to
see what I offer.
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at bottom).
Weathergram archive (with translator) is at weathergram.blogspot.co.nz.
Contact is bob@metbob.com or text 64277
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