WEATHER LAST MONTH

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27912, 8 March 1956, Page 15

WEATHER LAST MONTH

LINCOLN COLLEGE REPORT Extreme weather conditions—with temperatures ranging from 38 degrees to 93 degrees—were experienced during February, according to the monthly meteorological report of Canterbury Agricultural College. Lincoln. Humidity varied from 36 per cent, to 94 per cent., and on several days still air was experienced. On another day a severe thunderstorm caused considerable damage to fruit and vegetables. The storm occurred on the afternoon of February 6 and lasted for 30 minutes, during which 65 points of rain fell, and the temperature dropped from 70 degrees to 43 degrees. A force 8 wind prevailed, with gusts much higher, and hailstones up to Jin in diameter fell. After a thunderstorm and associated rain, which produced a total of 83 points, pastures greened-up in patches, but remained bare. Lucerne responded better to the moisture, and some useful grazing of it has been possible. As there were few standing crops the hail caused no serious damage outside the home garden. Harvesting of most crops was completed by mid-month. Yields and samples of barley were good, but most other crops poor to average. Cultivation has been difficult, weed strikes poor, but twitch control good. Stock have continued to remain healthy, though in most cases sheep have lost weight. Yields from home garden crops have in general been light, the quality only fair to average, and the duration of fruiting short. Readings taken during the month, with those for February, 1955, in parenthesis. were:— Mean humidity, 67.38 deg. (69.1 deg.): mean maximum temperature, 72.79aeg. (73.9 deg. highest maximum temperature. 93.0 deg. (90.6 deg mean minimum temperature, 51.71 deg. (51.6 deg. lowest minimum temperature. 38.0 deg. (38.9 deg. mean grass minimum temperature. 41.59 deg. (45.5 deg. lowest grass minimum temperature, 25.0 deg. (33.0 deg. mean temperature for month. 62.24 deg. (62.75 deg.); mean range of temperature for month, 2107 deg. (22.3 deg. mean earin temperature, at Bin, 62.75 deg. (63.3 deg. days of frost, 4 (nil): rainfall. 1.19 m (3.02 in rainfall to date, 2.53 in (3.19 in hours of sunshine. 185.7 (151.8): mean amount of cloud, in eighths, 5.57 (6.4); miles of wind, 6856 (6667): mean force of wind, 2.76 (3.6); evaporation for month, 5.624 (5.242).