WETTEST FEBRUARY ON RECORD

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 138, 6 March 1936, Page 8

WETTEST FEBRUARY ON RECORD

The Weather Surveyed

FLOODS, GALES AND THUNDERSTORMS

February is usually a dry mouth, but this year it proved by far the wettest February hitherto recorded in New Zealand, states Dr. E. Kidson, Director of Meteorological Services, in his notes on the weather for last month. Except for the western and southern portions of the South Island, it is doubtful whether even in'a winter month so much rain has fallen over the country as a whole. Flooding occurred at times over practically the whole of the North Island, and in parts of the Auckland-province the floods of February 1 and 2 were of record proportions. In South Marlborough, Canterbury and north-eastern Otago, also, there was heavy flooding. In Canterbury the floods of the 19th to the 21st were the most severe since 1923 and the Ashley 1 River rose to unprecedented heights. In addition, there was much cloudy and humid weather between the rains. In consequence of the wet weather there has everywhere been a rank growth of pasture. Stock are in good condition generally and the milk yield has been well maintained. For v sheep the grass is too rank and soft and lambs are not fattening well. Severe damage has been done to the wheat crop which otherwise would have been excellent. In many cases grain, both standing and in stooks, has sprouted. Other crops are generally poor, and conditions have been extremely unfavourable for haymaking. The apple crop, however, appears to be satisfactory. White butterflies, though not so numerous as in 1934-35, were more plentiful than earlier in the summer. Extreme Rainfall. Over the whole of the North Island extremely wet weather prevailed and the totals were generally about three to four times the average for February,. though places with a westerly aspect were not quite as bad as elsewhere. In Marlborough, most of Canterbury, and eastern Otago, similar conditions prevailed. Most of Westland, the McKenzie Country, the interior of Otago and Southland, had less than the average rain. 4 In South Westland there were some heavy falls. Though there were cold spells on the

"th and Sth (when considerable snow fell on the ranges of the South Iss laud), the 10th and the 26th, the mouth was Comparatively mild. In most cases the mean temperatures were below normal but there were frequent exceptions. On the West Coast means were generally above the average. Marlborough and most of Canterbury ex-

perienced a cold month, the departures from normal being approximately 2 degrees Fahrenheit. Few frosts were reported. Invercargill, with 159.1 hours, had considerably more sunshine than usual, while Gore and Dunedin, also, were above the average. Everywhere else there were large deficiencies, 40 to 50 hours being common. Absence of sunshine, with consequent low maximum

temperatures, was principally responsible for the low mean temperatures for the month. Tauranga, with 207.2 hours, had the highest registration. During the night of the Ist and the morning of the 2nd, a deep cyclone, which had originated some days before as a tropical cyclone to the northwest of the New Hebrides, rapidly increasing its speed of movement, travelled down the western side of the Auckland Peninsula and thence across the centre of the North Island and away in a south-easterly direction. In most of the Auckland province northeasterly gales were followed, after the centre passed, by sou th- westerly. Elsewhere over tiie North Island southerly or south-easterly gales were experienced. Though shortlived, owing to the rapid movement of the storm, these winds rose to whole gale force in some exposed positions. It was probably the most violent storm ever experienced at most places in the North Island and certainly caused more destruction than any previous one. Extremely heavy rains occurred, falls of four to 11 inches being the rule. Though there were some heavy rainfalls, principally in Marlborough, the South Island was little affected. Other Storms. The remaining storms were rather I ’ complex in structure and none was severe until the centre had passed New Zealand, although heavy rains were produced. The first of these systems. operated from- the 6th to the 9th. On the 7th and Sth there were southerly gales; the temperature dropped sharply; snow fell on the ranges of the South Island; and there were many violent thunder and hailstorms, Kain was practically general and in maiiy places heavy. Canterbury had heavy rains on this occasion. Widespread, though brief, flooding occurred. Another very wet period was from the 17th to the 22nd. There was no very violent storm, but the persistence of high pressure iu the Chatham Is- j land region, while depressions approached from the west, led to the rainfall being very heavy, especially iu Canterbury, where there was severe flooding and much damage done. At Akaroa 9Jin. of rain fell between 9 a.m. and 3.30 p.m. on the 20th and for 24 hours the fall was 11.73 in. A depression whicli passed on the 25th deepened when to the eastward and was followed- by a severe soutberlj’ gale. Again there was heavy rain at many places. Thunderstorms were frequent during the month and unusually violent. Several buildings were struck and some stock were killed. A hailstorm in the Nelson district on the 7th did much damage to the tobacco crop..