SEVERE STORMS

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 6, 6 July 1935, Page 14

SEVERE STORMS

WEATHER IX JUKE

A, DOMINION SURVEY

June was remarkable for several severe storms which were responsible for prolonged and strong winds between westerly and south-westerly and for frequent wet days. Owing, however, to lack of extreme temperatures, in most districts there was some growth in pasture and stock generally continued in good condition. This was especially the case in much of the North Island where an absence of hard frosts and periods of mild temperature induced an abnormal growth of grass for the time of the year. The aggregate rainfall was bd|jjjjFSJJie average in a small area about Cook Strait and parts of the western districts of the South Island, while the remainder of the Dominion recorded above normal. The largest excesses occurred in Otago and the Hawke's Bay and Gisborne districts, where some stations had more than double their usual amount. Temperatures were above the average over most of the North Island. In the South Island they were below except in the extreme north and parts of Central Otago. As might be expected from the large number of wet days experienced, sunshine was nearly everwyhere below the mean, the only districts where it was above being Marlborough and Otago. From the returns received, Blenheim with 143 hours shows the greatest amount, followed by Waimate with 139 and Napier with 131 hours. STORM SYSTEMS. "The month began with fine weather which lasted until June 4, while an anti-cyclone was moving across New Zealand. On June 5 and 6 a cyclone moved from the north, passing off East Cape during the night of the latter date. Heavy rain was associated with this disturbance between Hawke's Bay and East Cape, and some flooding occurred. There was a, fairly general improvement in the weather on June 7, but from June 8 to 12 a series of deep westerly depressions crossed the Tasman Sea and New Zealand. Consequently, strong north-west4 to. southwest winds and boisterous conditions were-experienced in most districts. During the night of June 9 much of the■'■ South Island ' and some of, A the high country in the North Island experienced a-fall of snow. Widespread thunderstorms : also occurred in the North Island.-'-In. Canterbury the snowstorm was particularly severe,' and it is many years .since such a'heavy fall of snow has occurred. There were other but lighter falls of snow on June 11 and 12. During the evening of June 12, however, the weather rapidly cleared and some severe frosts were recorded in the night, Christchurch having one of 13.8 degrees. The last portion of this series of -depressions, had, by then, passed eastwards, and several days' fair to fine weather followed. By the evening of June 16 a fresh depression had moved on to the Dominion, and until it had passed away eastwards on June 20 cloudy and squally weather prevailed over most of the country with intermittent and, ■in places, heavy rain. On the morning of June 17 a tornado passed over the Pye's Pa district in the Bay of Plenty. It was fortunately confined to a narrow track and appears to have caused damage to one farm only. A shed was lifted bodily over a fence, a cowshed unroofed, and limbs torn off numerous trees.

An anticyclone covered the Dominion on June 20, and the weather was briliantly fine almost generally. The former, however, moved rapidly eastwards and was followed by a further series of deep depressions which continued to cross the country until the close of the month.