WEATHER IN MAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 134, 8 June 1936, Page 10

WEATHER IN MAY.

UNIQUE CONDITIONS. SUNSHINE FOLLOWS STORM. LOW TEMPERATURES. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Saturday. The remarkable spell of fine weather, which followed one of the most nota.ble south-westerly storms in the history of the Dominion, is- the feature of the comments of the Dominion meteorologist. Dr. E. Kidson, in his notes on the weather for May. A storm of such violence over so great an area as that on May 2, had probably not previously been recorded in tho Dominion, Dr. Kidson stated. The weather remained wet and rather stormy until after the close of the week of the'inonth. Thereafter there occurred a spell of settled weather, unprecedented for the time of year.

From May 8 until the end of the month no considerable disturbance aifected the Dominion. There was very little wiiid, but what there was came mainly from a southerly direction. Temperatures were, consequently, much below normal. Frosts and morning fogs were numerous, but there were many fine days and conditions were never really severe. On the whole, little growth occurred in vegetation and in certain districts pastures had been depicted. On the other hand, feed had in some cases been hardened and its nourishing properties consequently increased. In the principal dairying districts the milk yield had fallen away, but stock were reported everywhere to be doing well. The yield of winter crops had been very variable without any pronounced general tendency. In parts of Central Otago and much of Southland, where there was a good deal, of showery weather,' the rainfall was above the average. Elsewhere the month was an extraordinarily dry one. The North Island had only about (50 per cent of the normal fall, many places recording only about a quarter. Similar conditions prevailed in Nelson, Marl, borough and Canterbury. Temperatures were, in general, between two and three degrees below normal, making the month one of the coldest Mays on record. In parts of the interior of Canterbury and in the far south, however, the normal temperature was exceeded. Some hard frosts were experienced, especially in the north central portions of the North Island.

A good deal of cloud occurred in eastern areas in what was otherwise fine weather, but the great majority of places had considerably more than the average amount of bright sunshine. Tauranga reported 208.7 hours, while Nelson and Lake Telcapo also had fine records.