APRIL'S WEATHER

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 106, 7 May 1931, Page 22

APRIL'S WEATHER

MONTH OF . CONTRASTS

■ ■Though-. the weather, for the greater j part of the.month was fine and mild, with'an absence of strong winds, there, were three.stormy periods in April, and j a fourth was commencing at tlio end1 of-the month. Two of those storms were of unusual severity, remarks Dr. E. Kidson, Director of Meteorological; Services, in his summary of April's weather. Temperatures were again below normal. In the North Island tho departures were mainly slight, but in the South- Island they were considerable. There -was a prevalence of southerly winds, and widespread frosts occurred, though, except in the South, they were not severe. • Most of the heavier ramfalls were accompanied by mild temperatures and, in most districts, there has been a rapid growth of grass and stock are in good condition. It is only from parts of South Canterbury and Otago, whore the dry and cold weather has Been unfavourable to 'stock, and pastures that adverse reports have been received.... .. -. . ■ .

'Over the greater part of the North Island the rainfall was considerably above normal, but deficiencies occurred in .'the extreme, north,, m parts of the Thames/ Coromandel, and western Bay of Plenty districts, and about Hawkes Bay .and" Poverty Bay. In the South Island, Golden Bay, Marlborough,. and the extreme northern, part of Canterbury had considerably, above the average; but over the remainder low rainfalls were experienced, especially in Otago and South Canterbury. . . The first of the storms referred to above occurred on the 2nd and 3rd. A deep and complicated depression moved from the Tasman Sea on to New Zealand. The variation in pressure in front of it was very rapid, and consequently conditions favoured strong northerly winds. Actually these reached gale force over a wide area extending from the extreme North to beyond Christchurch. About Cook Strait the most severe northerly gale for many years was recorded. Rain was practically general, but in the Tararua Mountains and where the ranges ' of northern Nelson and Marlborough faced the wind directly, the falls wero 'of unprecedented magnitude. Unfortunately, tho total fall was registered at few stations owing to the gauges overflowing or being washed away. Some of the total registrations for.the 2nd and 3rd wero over 8.75 inches at Coll ing- ! wood,'over 24.05' at B'ainhani, 16.84 at Karamea, 10.21 -at Millerton, .15.15 at Tiroroa, 11.17 at Otira, and 13.55 inches at Yncyca Bay in the Marlborough Sounds. Record floods occurred in the Hutt and Otaki Rivers due to the rain 'in-the mountains.- At Nelson and New Plymouth extraordinarily' high -tides occurred: on the morning Of the 3rd. Much'damage was-done and two'lives were'lost. An interesting phenomenon was'the accumulation of foam on this coast of Westland. In places it was heaped!as high as 8 feet. '■'"The'-'second" stormy period in the month- occurred between the 7th and •tho 11th. Between the 7th ana the 10th; a- series of cyclone centres crossed Now -Zealand, the tracks taken being progressively more northerly. Many heavy "rainfalls were recorded in the North Island. The period culminated in gales on the 11th as the depressions moved away eastward. In the far North the gales were from the west, but in the central and southern portions of tho Dominion they were southerly. At Wellington the southerly was only slightly less severe than the northerly;of the preceding week.- The rain on the 10th and 11th was particularly heavy in the coastal portions of Marlborough and North Canterbury, many totals exceeding 5 inches. This storm was followed by a period of southerly winds which continued until the 15th. Cold weather was experienced, with frosts at many^places. :-. On the 18th another depression moved on :to the and a cyclone centre, located' in ■ its northern portion passed between Cape Maria van Diemen and Norfolk Island on the 19th. .Though the winds associated with this disturbance'wore not very, strong, it was responsible for some very heavy rains, especially in the northern and western districts'of the North Island. A spell of southerly weather followed this storm:also. On the 30th, general'rain waj 'caused- by a depression 'which was approaching from the Tasman Sea, andthe month closed with stormy conditions -prevailing. ■ ;