JULY WEATHER

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 31, 5 August 1933, Page 13

JULY WEATHER

MILD WINTER MONTH

STOCK AND .PASTURES

The Director of Meteorological Services (Dr. E, Ividson) furnishes the following notes on the weather for July:— Though there was again a persistence of southerly winds and eastern districts particularly experienced-a lack of sunshine, July was a mild .winter^ month, and conditions were very favourable for stock and pastures. The growth of grass has been unusually good for the time o/ year, all districts reporting a certain amount. This has been particularly fortunate in Canterbury and Marlborough since the shortage of winter feed lias thereby been compensated for. Stock are everywhere reported to be in good condition. Rainfall.—The distribution of rainfall during the month was' rather- patchy. On the. whole, the average was slightly exceeded, and there were some isolated very high totals. On the other hand, large areas received less than usual. North Auckland, North Taranaki, South Wellington, and the Bay of Plenty and central districts of the North Island registered an excess, while most of theremainder experienced a shortage. In the South Island, western districts and the interior had much more than normal, but eastern and far southern districts much less. The rain on the west coast was made up largely of a very few but very heavy falls. Temperatures.—Temperatures did not, generally, differ greatly from the average for July. In eastern districts from Canterbury northwards,, the persistent southerly winds and lack of sunshine were responsible for low day temperatures, and the mean, alsp, "was consequently somewhat below normal. Tho remainder of tho country enjoyed more genial conditions. There were no severe cold snaps, and frosts were rather less frequent than usual. Sunshine.-r-Though sunshine was bolOw normal everywhere except in western and far southern districts of the South Island, it was only in casteru.districts that the deficits were large. Nelson recorded "143.4 hours, while' llokitika, on the wet west coast, in spite of 21.73. inches, .of rain, came & close second.;with. .142.9 hours. . Wellington City,. with. 77.0 hours, occupied an unenviable position at the, bottom of the list. • Pressure Systems.—Tho weather ,' in July was generally similar to that.- in June so far as tile'type>f storm system was cohceirtecl. Most of tho storms were of cyclonic form,' and there was a persistent tendency for high pressures over the southern portion of the Dominion. Several very intense anticyclones : were experienced, barometers rising on the 27th to over 30.6 inches at a- number of places. Thar© were, only tJii-eo depressions of the westerly type, and of these1 the only one that affected the .weather greatly -was that which passed on the 9th. A 'low-pres-sure trough extended a long w^iy northwards from this depression and general rains resulted, especially in. tho North Island. Snow fell on the ranges of the South Island.' ■ Tho first of the cyclones 'passed the northern extremity of the N'arth Island on the 3rd. There1 were heavy rains in the'far north as it passed, and southeasterly gales followed it. Between the 14th and the 17th a complex depression crossed tho South Island. Practically all districts recorded heavy rain, many of the falls being of exceptional , severity. Floods occurred in Tara'naki,- Westland, and the Mackenzie- Country in ■ western South Canterbury. The fall of the 14th, which in many places exceeded two inches, was quite, an unusual one for the district last mentioned. Snow fell in the same area, on several day's, and was widespread on the, ranges generally. .A.third cyclone, which crossed the tip of tho Auckland Peninsula on the ■22nd, also caused general rains. Southerly gales blow after; the centre had passed,, and there was further snow on the rang6s. . ■ Stormy weather,' with north-east or northerly gales,, prevailed during the last two days, of the month, while, a cyclone, which had caused heavy floods in New South- Wales, was advancing across tho Tasman Sea.