VERY DRY

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 56, 7 March 1930, Page 3

VERY DRY

» ,— —_ ■ FEBKUARY'S WEATHER Contrasted with January, February was a very dry month over,most of the Dominion, according to the monthly; summary issued by Dr. E. Kidson, Director of Meteorogolical Services. The whole of the South Island except tuysegnr Point had a low rainfall, the deficiency being greatest in tha North' .Canterbury, Marlborough, Nelson, and Westland provinces. Most of the North Island also exeprienced less than the average, but a considerable excess was' recorded in the East. Coast ■ portion from Poverty Bay northwards and throughout the Auckland Peninsula. This effect, was brought about by a predominance of south-easterly] winds which were associated /with, cyclones passing to the north of tha Dominion. Even in those districts where rain was scanty, the growth of grass was well maintained throughout. The effect of the lack of rain was small owing to the heavy falls in previous months, to the absence of drying winds, and to the cool and somewhat changeable weather which prevailed. Conditions were, indeed, at times, more of a spring than a summer type. On the whole, the month was favourable to all classes of stock. Dairy herds have milked well and sheep, and lambs have thrived in most districts. The latter, however, have not fattened as well as might have been expected at thia season of the year owing to the rank* ness and''softness of the pasture. Keports indicate good crop yields, but the absence of warm sunshine' has caused harvesting to be much later than usual. In many districts root crops have dona remarkably wfeii, the weather having been most favourable to this class of crop: The mean temperature was again, markedly below normal, for although, there were many warm days the nights were invariably cool. The pressure systems responsible for periods of unsettled weather were mainly cyclonic \n form. The Auckland, Bay of Plenty, and Poverty Bay districts experienced considerable rainfall between the Ist and the sth, while a cyclone was located to the no*th-east of Cape Maria van Diemen. This disturbance passed; rapidly away on the night of the sth. and from then on to the 13th the doraw inating influence was a^ slow-moving* fairly intense anti-cyclone. Except in the areas and during the period; mentioned, fine weather of unusual brilliance was experienced over th« Dominion until the 13th. ■ Only two depressions of the westerljj type were recorded during the mouthy one on the 16th and the other on th» night of the 23rd. The former followed! closely on a cyclone which had moved gradually across the northern Tasmait Sea and crossed the North Island during the night of the 15th. Heavy lain was associated with this cyclone m tn« North Island on the 13th, 14th, and 15th more especially in the northern and East Coast portions, where spm«| flooding occurred at places. The ob« server at Maraehako Station, in th« Bay of Plenty, measured 11 inches of rain on the 15th. ■ ' A second very fine spell set in on th» 25th and continued to the close of tig month. At this time there was evidence - of an intense tropical cyclone operating to the north-east of New Zealand If was too far away to have any genera* unfavourable effect on the Dominion* weather, but some scattered rain fei| in the Auckland and East, Cape di* tricts, and on the afternoon of th« 28th a severe thunderstorm occurred i«, the neighbourhood of Taumarunui. A house at Te Koura suffered considerable damage by lightning, the verandah; collapsing and the front of the house; being scorched.