Four dry years

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33128, 19 January 1973, Page 10

Four dry years

During the last four years the rainfall has been 23 per cent below average, according to observations at Lincoln College. Both last year and 1971 were classified as drought years in the college weather report. The total rainfall last year, 490.1 mm., was well below average and little better than the 446.1 mm. in 1971 and the 453 mm. in 1969. During the last four years the average rainfall has been 510tnm.,

compared with the average of 662 mm. Last year was the twelfth driest in the 87 years of record taking, 1971 the sixth-driest and 1969 the eighth-driest. LATE RAINS CRUCIAL But the wet October last year —74.2 mm. of rain — must have prevented a crisis in areas without irrigation, says the report. The December rains were more effective too, because

of much colder and dullei conditions than usual, and growth had been maintained to a certain extent. The mean temperature of 13.5 degrees in December was the lowest since 1951, while the total of 184 hours of sunshine for the month was the lowest since 1959 and the sixth-lowest since 1935. In December, 1971, the mean temperature was 16.3 degrees, with 205 hours of sunshine. Rainfall last December, 44.5 mm., was below the station average of 58mm. but a good fall of 16.4 mm. on December 13, together with less evaporation than usual, made the rain more effective.