Waihopai Valley

Waihopai Valley is an area near Blenheim in the Marlborough region of the South Island of New Zealand. The Waihopai River drains the area.

Waihopai Valley

The Waihopai Valley branches off the Wairau Valley.

The Government Communications Security Bureau operates what it describes as a satellite communications monitoring facility in the Waihopai Valley, which it calls GCSB Waihopai. It has been identified as being a part of ECHELON, the worldwide network of signals interception facilities run by the UKUSA consortium of intelligence agencies.

The lower Waihopai, as it runs into the Wairau Valley, has a number of vineyards.^[1] From 1925 to 1927 small hydroelectric power station was built in the valley.^[2] It is now operated by TrustPower.

Climate

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]