JULY'S WEATHER

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 32, 7 August 1934, Page 3

JULY'S WEATHER

DOMINION SUMMARY

A COLD MONTH

In his summary of the Dominion's weather during July, Dr. E. Kiclson, Director of Meteorological Services,'remarks that there was a predominance of southerly winds, but except' for those on the -Ith, 17th, and. 27th, they were usually not severe. The month, however, was a cold one, and consequently there was little growth in pasture, and supplementary feeding of stock had to be resorted to in many cases. Where early lambiug has taken place there was some mortality, but on .the whole stock has kept in good condition. Bainfall . distribution during the month was somewhat irregular. The greater part of the country experienced less than the average amount, the .largest deficit being in Canterbury, where, at places, less than half the normal fell. North Auckland, Otago, and Southland, and districts about Cook Strait, oil the other hand, had considerably more than the average. Temperatures were everywhere below the average. In the North Island the mean difference was l.odeg bolow, the recording station showing the greatest difference being Taihape, Hvhere it was 2.2dcg below. The South Island mean was I.9deg below average, Christchurch and Hanmer Springs having the largest departures, with 2.Bdeg and 3.8d0g respectively. The low mean temperatures are accounted for by the prevalence, of southerly winds, and tho ■unusually cold night temperatures in tho clear weather accompanying them. Frosts were frequent, some inland places in the South Island experiencing the most severe over recorded. Fortunately there was more sunshine than the average at most places, Now Plymouth being the only piaee with a deficiency. Blenheim had tho highest total, 195.9 hours, whilo Nelson had' 191.6 hours, and Tauranga 163.7 hours. PRESSURE SYSTEMS. The storm systems during July were somewhat similar in type to those ruling in June, with a tendency for the areas of lowest pressure to pass over the North Island. The disturbance which was responsible for tho widespread snowfall at the end of the previous month was on July 1 still located east of New Zealand. By the morning of the 2nd a secondary depression had formed west of Cook Strait, and during the night of the 2nd it passed over the North Island. Tho southerly consequently continued to bo severe during the following two days, much snow falling in both the North and South Islands. .On tho 7th a cyclonic depression which during the previous two days had been centred off the New South Wales coast was covering the greater part of the Tasman Sea. Its effects were already being felt from Canterbury , northwards, strong north-east to east winds being accompanied by,widespread rains. Very heavy rain fell in the North Auckland district on tho night of the 7th, totals of over 5 inches being recorded at some places for the 24 hours preceding 9 a.m. on. the Bth. As a result, there was some heavy flooding. Tho storm had disappeared eastwards by the morning of tho 9th, and owing to the development of an intense depression over south-eastern Australia the southerly in its rear was quite a mild one. Other depressions causing fairly general rains crossed tho Dominion on tho 16th,' 21st, and 27th respectively. The two former were of the westerly type, but tho one on the 27th was. a qomplpx qiio with a centro which crossed; northern Now Zealand. Heavy fain was associated with it in North Auckland, and ' strong north-cast to south-cast winds blew. Mdst of'tho disturbances referred to were responsible in their later stages for snowfall on tho ranges, while at the beginning of the month and again on tho 16th a considerable amount fell' on the low lands. Canterbury received a fairly substantial 'coating during the night of the 16th, when a boisterous southerly prevailed. Interspersed with the storm areas mentioned were various brief periods of fine weather associated with passing high pressure, systems. For instance, it was line generally from tho sth to 6th, 13th to 14th, 17th to 20th, on the 25th, and during the last three days of the month. .