MARCH'S WEATHER.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 187, 2 May 1908, Page 13

MARCH'S WEATHER.

A'RECORD, DROUGHT FOR NEW ZEALAND. ■ ' The longest and severest dry period ever ' ' recorded ■in New Zealand (says the .Government Meteorologist in the " Gazette ") ended, with the beginning, of March. Tho rainfall , ?, ■ returns for tho; month.show very ■■ heavy'fall3 - at : different times . m all parts of the.coun- . try,- except southern Otago and Southland, wher'evtho total fall was about tho average • - for,', the > month in . previous years." .■ These; heavy. , and warm rains. on the heated soil' . produced a wonderful, growth of grass, etc., which dispelled the worst fears of a shortage. • the coming winter.: In places the drought has killed soiio of' the trees r.ild vegOTMion, and bush fires have also wrought .' much, havoc;, but it is now hoped and bc- ;; jQlioved. byviriany :,that"bh) the whole; and in the .. Iqng run this,;experience, , most unexpected and grievous as it was at tho time, will provo iiphly ( beneficial. , v.'ihp. weather conditions during March w6ro ; ; ver/. unsettled; cyclonic disturbances and . westerly' areas ,of low pressure, , though mild Jii, -.character,. frequently succeeded each ; v . other,i and tho barometric pressure \vas generally below the average,ins well a3 unsteady, v -The'..; mountain'' stations at - .Egmont • and. Mount .Cook record 30.08in:;-an'd 29.51 in. respectively; . A most notable difference is . • seen.between the falls recorded on the!western and northern watersheds of Wellington: .. ~at. Wamuiomata, which is esbosed to sou■j .tberly .winds, between March 18 and 26 tho '.v. .fall , amounted t0,17.37in.,. while at Karorij during .the'same period ",tho .fall was 3.70ih., .. and at the-Wellington; Observatory 4.l§in.