ABNORMALLY COLD

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 51, 2 March 1937, Page 17

ABNORMALLY COLD

AND VERY WET TOO

FEBRUARY IN DISGRACE

February Has the reputation ot being one of the finest months of the year, and competes with January as to being the warmest. • In several recent years, however, this' reputation has been seriously belied,, and the February which terminated;; its disgraceful career yesterday proved to be one with tempera-tures-much below normal and with a rainfall much above .the average,'. The only redeeming features were the', fact that, the sunshine was. not much . be: low the. average, and that there was less wind than usual. -The month's mean temperature, as recorded at Kelburn, was as much; as four degrees below the - February, normal, and the rainfall was over 50 per cent, above the average.;:;.lt was not,;however, the ■coldest February on. record, for as recently as. 1931 February, failed in its production of summer .warmth,; .-.the month's mean temperature in that year being 4.7 degrees below . the average. Prior .to'that year1 one has,to go back to 1906 to find a; colder February, the departure of temperatures fr.orn'nor: mal in .February', that year, being1 4.4 degrees. on: the wrong side of the ledger.' When, the ' weather, was fine last month—as .it sometimes was—it was: very v cool for summer,' and. altogether ' itV-was a poor: month for those who delight 'in .bathing. Lawns,' however, have remained green'; and-"-flowers have .^continued to> b100m...,...,,- :,; ■■

The 'mean temperature,'at 9 a.m.' was only ;58.'9: degrees; •■the normal figure, for February being 62.2 degrees.; The month's mean maximum: temperature was 64.1 degrees, and the mean minimum "temperature .'51.3 degrees,, the previous February averages being 68.4----and 55 degrees respectively. < Hence, the approximate mean temperature for the month was 57.7 degrees, or. 4 degrees below''the: average of 61.7-degrees. ;.- : 'The highest., maximum temperature, one of;/72.6 degrees ,was reached on the 16th, and the lowest mirrimum, 43.8 degrees, 'ori r the 21st, .The minimum grass temperature averaged 47.2 degrees, as against ta; normal of 49.3 degrees. The "lowest grass1 minimum was. recorded on the 2nd with a reading of 33.6. degrees.: v ; :;'.■ ■.•.-••:■■■.■: "■■■'■■--^ ■ Rain-fell .on 11 days ;and totalled 4.22 inches;'whereas the average forjFebruary is 2.7s'inches on nine'days. The rainfall' was thus 53 per ■ cent. :above the average.;. ■3?he ■heaviest, fall ..during the- 'm.ohth was one J p'biiit : short.' of an inch;ori;the:24th, but-,in;;the".Hutt Valley -".'ihe'-i- rainfall.-.was considerably, heavier. At: the Karori Reservoir. 4.53 inches;of rain fell on 12 days, this total being '^per cent;. aboye- the average. • ' The-hours' of bright: sunshine, totalled 197 4 : the/ n6rmal figured for, .February being- 207.5 hours. There 'were three days -.without-any sunshine .at a 11.,. .At 9. -a.m.-;;' the, sky >veraged -.6.6 tenths covered, by. cloud. ■»,,:,. .■;:■■ ",,-: .■ '-■,■'.''.'■!.„ The--daily run. of wind, averaged : 19^ miles,-:the normal figure-for February being -229: mile's^ The,windiest 24-hour period-was-that ending; at 9, a,m,.on the 24th when the. run :ot wind recorded was-468 -miles':-! there was, a north-, wester^.- gale: pri.:- thev,;: tenth,. ■or : .the month^ii^ ■•■.>:'-. ..'•:■.' '■; •.-"-.; '." ■'<■■. ■ '■..- The- relativelhumidity at 9 a.m.aver-- ;- aged ■73"per.cent..;75j ) er; cent., bteing the" normal figure, for February. . .The 9^m;; reading of;;the barometer:averaged 29.906- inches, as, against,;a,nor-; tnal figure of 29.967 inches. The highest reading! was -30.346 inches on the 20th, :and the slowest 29.410 inches on ■^igJ^nailKfet 'dn-the^Hth. and Jogs; were:iri.evidence on the 25th and 26th, that.on the 25th, being;yery .persistent. .;•