DRIEST ON RECORD

Evening Post, Volume CXIV, Issue 27, 1 August 1932, Page 9

DRIEST ON RECORD

BUT NOT THE COLDEST

WEATHER IN JULY

ABUNDANT SUNSHINE

"Last month was the driest July ever recorded at Wellington. There were no extremes of temperature, and although the month was cold, it was not as cold as previous Julys. The cold was not so noticeable on account of the absence of wind and the abundance of sunshine," stated Dr. B. Kidson (Government Meteorologist) to-day, when reviewing tho weather for last month.

A survey of the weather at Wellington for the last month of autumn and the first two winter months makes interesting reading. Tho month of May was described as very wet, almost double tho usual .amount of rain falling. • The .rainfall for the month was 7.79 inches. The month was slightly cooler than the three preceding Mays, which were all below the normal, but other Hays had been cooler. The weather .during June was dry and sunny, and the .fact that temperatures were rather below normal was counteracted by a comparative lack of wind. There were no great extremes. The month's rainfall amounted to only 2.18 inches, which was 48 per cent, below the average, and the month was the driest June since 1916.

, Following upon the dry June, last , month, which, in temperate regions is . usually, regarded as the second month . of winter, makes another record, be- ; ing the driest July recorded since the keeping of records began in 1562. The : total rainfall at Kelburn was 1.43 . inches. The normal is 4.71 inches.' Aj fall of 1.69 inches was recorded at ! Thorndon, in 1922, that being the- only . previous ■ occasion on which the total . was less than 2 inches. At Karori rei servoir, the total last month was 1.74 i inches; the previous lowest fall there ! was 2 inches, in 1922. Karori reservoir ; records go back to 1890. Last month's i rain fell on 14 days, the average num- ; ber of days upon which rain falls in. July being 18. It was not so much, to the. infrequeney of the rain ..as. to the ! small amounts that the low total w.ls ■ due. The only heavy fall was on the i 2nd, when .67 inch was recorded. The principal characteristic of the • winds was the lightness, with a great . predominance of southerlies. From the ; 14th to the 29th inclusive, southcrlies ruled practically without intermission, i The only strong northerly blow occurred on the 6th. v

"In view of the prevalence of tho southerlies," stated Dr. Kidson, "it was not surprising to find, that the mean temperature was considerably'be T low normal. In 1930, however, the mean for July was .2 deg colder., In 1899 and in 1918, also, July was pror bably slightly colder than this year, but the meteorological station was not at Kelburn in those years. Although the mean temperature was low, the extreme's were not outstanding."

The lowest temperature in the shade recorded at Kelburn was 33.1 degrees, whereas 32.4 degrees was recorded in July, 1930. On the grass, tho lowest at Kelburn was 26.6deg. Seven frosts were recorded, whereas in 1930 thero were twelve frosts. Twelve frosts were experienced at Lower Hutt last month. "There have been many frostier Julys than last month," said Dr. Kidsou.

The mean pressure for the month was 2D.991 inches, the: normal being 29.923 inches. The mean maximum, temperature was 49.4 degrees, the normal being 52 degrees. The mean minimum was S9.4deg., the normal lacing 41.5deg. The' approximate mean temperature, therefore, was 44.4dcg., compared with a. normal of 46.8deg. The highest maximum was Cl.2deg., on the 7th. The lowest minimum was 33.1 degrees on the 23rd. The mean minimum on the grass was 34.5deg., and the lowest 26.6deg., on the 23rd. MORE SUN, LESS WIND. The mean run of the wind in 24 hours was 159 miles, the- normal being 203 miles. The greatest run was 405 miles, for the twenty-four hours ending i 9 a.m. on the 7th. The mean cloudiness at 9 a.m. was 6.4 tenths involved." The amount of sunshine, .126.6 hours, was considerably above the average, which is only 107.8 hours. Hail fell on four days: the 3rd, 4th, 21st,. and 25th. On the 23rd there were a few flakes of snow. Lightning was seen on the evening of the 21st.