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Waihopai Valley is an area nearBlenheim in theMarlborough region of theSouth Island of New Zealand. TheWaihopai River drains the area.
TheGovernment Communications Security Bureau operates what it describes as asatellitecommunications monitoring facility in the Waihopai Valley, which it callsGCSB Waihopai. It has been identified as being a part ofECHELON, the worldwide network ofsignals interception facilities run by theUKUSA consortium of intelligence agencies.
The lower Waihopai, as it runs into theWairau Valley, has a number of vineyards.[1] From 1925 to 1927 smallhydroelectric power station was built in the valley.[2] It is now operated byTrustPower.
| Climate data for Waihopai Power Station (1971–2000 normals, extremes 1962–1987) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 35.0 (95.0) | 38.5 (101.3) | 31.7 (89.1) | 28.1 (82.6) | 22.4 (72.3) | 21.4 (70.5) | 19.1 (66.4) | 20.3 (68.5) | 26.5 (79.7) | 29.0 (84.2) | 29.5 (85.1) | 35.0 (95.0) | 38.5 (101.3) |
| Mean maximum °C (°F) | 31.5 (88.7) | 30.9 (87.6) | 27.6 (81.7) | 24.0 (75.2) | 19.3 (66.7) | 16.8 (62.2) | 15.4 (59.7) | 17.1 (62.8) | 20.5 (68.9) | 23.4 (74.1) | 26.1 (79.0) | 28.8 (83.8) | 32.6 (90.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 23.7 (74.7) | 23.6 (74.5) | 21.1 (70.0) | 17.8 (64.0) | 14.4 (57.9) | 11.5 (52.7) | 11.0 (51.8) | 12.4 (54.3) | 14.7 (58.5) | 17.1 (62.8) | 19.0 (66.2) | 21.5 (70.7) | 17.3 (63.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 17.4 (63.3) | 17.3 (63.1) | 15.2 (59.4) | 12.2 (54.0) | 9.2 (48.6) | 6.6 (43.9) | 6.0 (42.8) | 7.1 (44.8) | 9.4 (48.9) | 11.6 (52.9) | 13.5 (56.3) | 15.6 (60.1) | 11.8 (53.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 11.2 (52.2) | 11.0 (51.8) | 9.3 (48.7) | 6.7 (44.1) | 4.0 (39.2) | 1.7 (35.1) | 1.0 (33.8) | 1.8 (35.2) | 4.1 (39.4) | 6.2 (43.2) | 8.0 (46.4) | 9.7 (49.5) | 6.2 (43.2) |
| Mean minimum °C (°F) | 5.0 (41.0) | 5.3 (41.5) | 3.4 (38.1) | 1.3 (34.3) | −1.2 (29.8) | −2.7 (27.1) | −4.0 (24.8) | −2.9 (26.8) | −1.2 (29.8) | 0.4 (32.7) | 2.4 (36.3) | 4.1 (39.4) | −4.6 (23.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | 2.5 (36.5) | 1.3 (34.3) | 0.3 (32.5) | −2.2 (28.0) | −4.2 (24.4) | −6.0 (21.2) | −8.2 (17.2) | −5.5 (22.1) | −6.7 (19.9) | −2.3 (27.9) | −1.0 (30.2) | −0.2 (31.6) | −8.2 (17.2) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 74.7 (2.94) | 45.7 (1.80) | 61.7 (2.43) | 84.7 (3.33) | 65.5 (2.58) | 86.8 (3.42) | 74.6 (2.94) | 79.4 (3.13) | 71.6 (2.82) | 99.3 (3.91) | 57.5 (2.26) | 69.9 (2.75) | 871.4 (34.31) |
| Source: NIWA[3] | |||||||||||||
41°34′17.68″S173°45′4.55″E / 41.5715778°S 173.7512639°E /-41.5715778; 173.7512639