A MISERABLE MARCH

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 78, 1 April 1936, Page 4

A MISERABLE MARCH

COLD AND .WET

RECORDINGS AT KELBURN

February was the wettest February

oi) record for Wellington,, and-. March

followed suit by being as cold as any ,-'■ previous March, and incidentally far wetter than the average.' v Temperatures as recorded at Kelburn were well below the average (the month's mean temperature being nearly four degrees . below the normal), and there has been '■', no colder March since local meteorological records were begun in. 1864, In addition to being cold, March was also ■ wet and rather stormy.' The incidence of the periods of unsettled -weather . was also unfortunate, each/weekend being spoiled. Vegetation'has been kept green, but growth in general has been slow for the time of year and ■ flower gardens have tended to. suffer. '.'. The mean maximum temperature for the month was 61,9 degrees, whereas the average for March is 66 degrees. The mean minimum was 50.1 degrees compared with a March average of 53.4 degrees, so the approximate mean temperature for the month was's6, ; degrees, or 3.7 degrees below the March 1 averagepf 59.7 degrees. The mean-tem-perature at 9 a.m. was 56.8 degrees, the average for March in previous years being 60.5 degrees. In 1906, when records were taken at the , Sydney Street Cemetery, the mean temperature for March was 57.2 degrees,'and in 1915 Thorndon recordings gave a mean temperature of 57.2 degrees.for March of that year. Allowing for'the difference of altitude between those 'stations and' the present one at :Kelburn, there is but little difference; between the mean temperature values of the March just over and those in 1906 and 1915, • ;/ The montk's highest maximum temperature was recorded on the 12th, when, the thermometer rose to 70.6 degrees. The -lowest minimum was ;42.6 degrees on the last day of the month. The month's, mean grass minimum temperature was, 46.3 degrees; 'corns pared with a previous average of 474 degrees. This is the lowest mean grass minimum for March since the Meteorological Office was removed to Kelburn in 1928. The lowest grass minimum temperature recorded during the month was 33.3 degrees on the 25th. .'■■ SUNSHINE ANDRAIN. The rain during.the month was 45 per cent, above normal. ■ Rain fell on . 13 days; whereas 11 days with rain is the normal for March. Kelburn recorded 4.64 inches of rain during the month. The fall at the Karori Reservoir, occurring on 14 days, totalled 4.59 inches.,. which is 41. per cent, above the average. In Lower . Hutt the month's rainfall was higher still, 5.73 inches being recorded' on 13, days. There -were particularly heavy falls on the 2nd and'on the' '9th;- the 'falls as recorded at Kelburn on those two days being 1.38 inches and, 1.26 inches respectively, and 2.30 inches'falling in . Lower Hutt. .! : The amount of sunshine recorded .- during the month was .slightly above the average—the month's one redeem-, ing feature. Hours of bright sunshine' totalled 194.6, the March average from previous years being 189.9 hours. There were three days during the month on which the sun refused to shine at aU, . ..March ..was not,. on the-whole, a ' windy month.' The daily run of wind averaged 214 miles, the normal daily figure for March being 210 miles. The - windiest 24rh6ur period was that end-' ing at-9a.mv on the 21st, -> when a strong north-westerly wind accounted for'.avTUff of 46S miles. On the 29th, ■ ;t66,'there-was; a'-yather severe north- ■ westerly 'gale;. "' ;v : / The vmea'n, barometric pressure for • the; nionthxyas 29.911 inches, the average SorvMarch-'jin previous years beingr3o:o27; inches: '~The > highest reading • wds:-So.266driches on the 19th, and the 'lowest'" 29:489 finches on the 9th. .■•..'• "'The.':mean: humidity of the atmos--phere. atU);a:m; .was 74 per cent., and at that hour 6.3 tenths of the sky was on th? average covered by cloud. The)only; Other..meteorological, phenomenon': worthy:of note during the month, was.'the 'occurrence of a little hail on the 3rd. and on the 29th. ■