THE YEAR’S WEATHER

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 84, 3 January 1930, Page 11

THE YEAR’S WEATHER

MORE SUNSHINE THAN USUAL A SQUALLY DECEMBER With the exception of June, every month of the year which has just concluded was below the average temperature, though we had more sunshine than usual, and the rainfall was very close to that experienced in previous years. The rain, which fell on 169 days, totalled 47.48 inches, which is about two inches more than usual. Wellington enjoyed 2032.4 hours of bright sunshine, which is eleven hours more than the statistics tell us that we were entitled to. April 29 was the wettest day of the year, 3.68 inches falling iu the space of 24 hours, and on six other occasions more than an inch was recorded at Karori. On five days during 1929 the run of the wind exceeded six hundred miles, the windiest day being September 9 with 633 miles, while on August 17 the velocity was but one mile less. On 41 days fog was recorded, while hail was experienced on twelve days, and lightning was registered on ten days. The highest temperature recorded was in February, the heat being only 74.9 degrees, and the mean temperature for the year being two degrees below normal. While February, May, August, September, and October each had more sunshine than the average, April, November, and December each were less sunny than they should have been. The 6.91 inches of rain which fell in July made it the wettest month of 1929. February, with .8 inches, was the driest month. December Windy and Dull. Unsettled, windy, dull, and cold, the weather of December was not as pleasing as one would have wished for a holiday season. Most of the wind experienced came in strong and squally north-westerly winds, which were relieved only by southerlies and southwesterlies. Sixteen of the thirty-one days saw rain fall, the greatest rainfall being .63in. on December 4, the total for the month being 2.69 inches. Only 196.7 hours of sunshine were experienced, though the average in past years has been 227.5 hours, a decrease of 30.8 hours. The brightest day was December, when we had more than 13 hours of sunshine. The average temperature for the month was 57.1 degrees, 3.2 degrees below the mean of previous years, the readings varying from 43.1 degrees to 69. The average daily velocity of the wind was 320 miles, which is 40 miles over the average, and the month was the windiest of the year. The highest run was 602 miles, while 500 miles or more was registered on six other days. The heaviest gust was one of 72 miles an hour. The barometer, registering 29.655 inches, was .211 lower than usual.

\ NELSON RAINFALL

VERY HEAVY LAST YEAR Dominion Special Service.

Nelson, January 2.

In only five previous years since 1883 has the rainfall of 48.61 in. for 1929 been exceeded. These were:— 1892,' 55.45 in.; in 1893, 55.12 in; in 1894, 49.69 in.; and 1924, 53.99 in. For the month of December the .record was 3.99 in., as compared with 8.67 in. for the corresponding period of 1928, when the total fall was 41.21 in. The bright sunshine recorded at Nelson during the year totalled 2431) hours 1 minute—a daily average of 6 hours 39 minutes.