A PLEASANT MONTH

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 77, 1 April 1933, Page 12

A PLEASANT MONTH

WEATHER FOR MARCH

PLENTY OF SUNSHINE

, Last month <was. , one, of the wai.mest Marches experienced in Wellington for some years, the mean temperature being 1.9 degrees above normal. March, 1928, was warmer, the average then being 2.2 degrees. By far the warmest March recorded since 1864. occurred in 1916, yhen the normal was exceeded by as much as 5.1 degrees. The only other years, in which the present year's recording ;was exceeded were 1882 and 1911. Rainfall was much below the average, while sunshine was considerably . übove. Since also there was "rather less wind than usual, the . month was a very pleasant, one. ; , , The mean barometric reading at !) a.m. was 29.997 inches, or ,09in abovti the average. ■ .■ ■ . ■....■ The mean maximum temperature was 68.3 degrees, the normal being' 66 degrees. The mean minimum temperature was 64.0 degrees, the normal being 53.4 degrees. The approximate mean temperature-there-fore was 61.6 degrees, the normal being 59.7 degrees. The highest temperature was 75.6 degrees on March 2, and on It days over-70. degrees were; recorded. The lowest minimum temperature was 44.3 degrees on1 March 29. The mean minimum temperature was 50.5 degrees, the lowest being 37 degrees on March 29. The mean run of the wind in 24 hours was 221 miles, the previous, average being 211 miles. The highest was 443 miles in the 24 hours ending 9 a.m. on March 7. The total rainfall was 2.1 inches, or 32 per cent, below the March average. The only hfeavy rain was on the night of March 18-19, when 1.30 inches fell. Bain was experienced on only five days. At the Earori Reservoir 1.9 inches ivas recorded, which is 43 per cent, belcw. the average. •' ; ". ' Wellington received 235.1 hours of sunshine, as against an average of only 188.5 hours. This total is 61 per cept. of the possible, and works out at 7.6' hours per day. There was only one day without sunshine. ... , From the meteorological point o:c view the month was largely without incident. Northerly gales were experienced on March 6 and 24, that on March 6 being rather severe. The rainfall on the night of March 18 was, on the whole, very heavy, 0.91 in falling in one hour, of which 0.13 in fell in two minutes. Lightning was seen on the night of March C.