WEATHER CONDITIONS

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 122, 16 February 1935, Page 9

WEATHER CONDITIONS

Review by Government Meteorologist ABSENCE OF STRONG WIND ■* - ; Observations on New Zealand’s weather and a review of the drought conditions prevailing over the last few weeks were made yesterday’ by Dr. E. Kidson. Director of the Meteorological Office, in a further interview with “The Dominion.” “Drought conditions are particularly acute in mid and north Canterbury, and are severe also iu much of Marlborough and South Canterbury and Otago,” he said. "In Nelson conditions this year have never been very bad. but the West Coast and Southland had good rains last mouth »anil are generally in good condition. “In the North Island it is still gen-' erally dry,' especially since much of the rain that has fallen has been of a local character. Not nearly so much benefit has been received from it, therefore, as would have been from steady, general rain. Nevertheless, there have been important relief rains'in most districts. Hawke’s Bay, Poverty Bay, parts of the Wairarapa, the Waikato, aml areas about and north of Auckland, especially, are on a much better footing now than at the beginning of the month. So far as the North Island is concerned the drought is probably practically over. Even in Canterbury there have been scattered rains.

“Equally dry periods have been experienced in other years, but they have usually begun later iu .the summer. On this occasion, too, the dry weather has been accompanied by the warmest weather hitherto recorded Since the dry spell occurred when the heat was at its greatest and the days at their longest, the effect on pastures was all the more severe. Another important point is that there had been a great flush of growth in the spring. The result has been that pastures were browned and burnt off, not only very completely, but also unusually early in the summer. The standing dry grass, of course, made fire risks very great. We have been fortunate in the absence of strong winds.”