WEATHER IN MARCH

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 77, 1 April 1931, Page 13

WEATHER IN MARCH

COLD, DRY, AND SUNNY

March continued the series of abnormally cold months which has been experienced of latci' Tho approximate mean temperature as.recorded at Kelburn was 157.1 degrees. To this, for comparative purposes, should be added eight or nine tenths of a degree, owing to the greater altitude of Kelburn, compared with Thorn; don, where* records were formerly made. Even if 58 degrees is taken as the corTected mean, the' month's mean temperature was 2.5 degrees below the average. Only in three other years has the mean temperature been lower, namely, 57.6 degrees in March, 1893, 07 iv March, .1906, and" 57.2 in March, 1915. The cold was not as apparent as it might have been, perhaps, owing to the relatively large amount, of sunshine and the number of days with light winds. The rainfall was very low, only 64 points being recorded at Kelburn. At the Karori reservoir tho fall was even less, 62 points. This total is only 18 per cent, of the average for March, but lighter falls have occurred in previous years; for instance, last March only 41 points of rain fell. Rain, fell on 15 days, so what little there was was well spread out. Hours of sunshine were more than normal, 198.7 being recorded, as against an average of 185.3. The amount of wind was about normal, the run averaging 244 miles for each 24 hours, the normal being 242 miles. Tho mean pressure at 0 a.m. was 29.782 inches, which is lower than the average [of 30.021 inches. The mean maximum temperature was 62.S degrees (average 66.9 for March in previous years), the highest being 00.S on tho Itith. The mean minimum temperature was 51.6 degrees, with the lowest mean (44.0 degrees) on the 29th, the previous average being 54.2 degrees. The average minimum temperature on tho grass for last month, was 47.7 j degrees, the lowest being 34.1. .degrees ; on the '2Pth,