A WET JANUARY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XLIII, Issue 9787, 1 February 1923, Page 5

A WET JANUARY

CONDITIONS LAST MONTH.

PHENOMENAL RAINFALL. Last year was the driest on record for five years, only about two-thirds of the ordinary fall being experienced. If the opening month of this year can be taken as a criterion, it would appear as though quite the reverse will be the case. No January for sevon years at least has been so wet as the one just concluded. Rain fell on 20 days, with a total of 4 inches 20 points. The maximum fall on any one day was 68 points, registered on the 4th. Haryest operations were'considerably hampered, especially towards the end or the month, and crops suffered damage from the "excessive moisture. In January of 1922, 2.40 inches was recorded, while in the previous year 3.09 inches fell. In the same month of 1919 the record of recent years of 5.31 inches was registered. There were five days on which there was no sunshine —Ist, 14th, loth, 24th. and 26th. The total hours of sunshine was 1565, which is not much more than half the uusal period for this time of the year. There were several days on which the sun merely peeped out momentarily. The highest barometric reading was 29.98 inches, on the 26th, and the lowest 29.41, on the 13th. The highest maximum temperature was 86 degrees, on the 10th, and- the lowest 53 degrees, on the 16th. The highest minimum temperature was 61, on the 28th, and 47 on the 15th.