SPRINGLIKE AUGUST

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 59, 7 September 1937, Page 19

SPRINGLIKE AUGUST

GENIAL BUT DRY

DOMINION'S WEATHER

"August is normally regarded as the iast month of winter/, but that just past was mild, pleasant, and distinctly springlike in character," says Dr. E. Kidson, Director of Meteorological Services, in his report on the weather during August. "There was less wind than usual and temperatures were generally above the average for the time of year. The cold of the early winter caused a shortage of pasture in many districts during the first part of the month, and it was necessary to resort to hand-feeding of stock. The dry weather accentuated this condition. In addition to pastures, the wheat crops in mid-Canterbury and North Otago suffered considerably, and mild rains are badly wanted there and at some other localities at present. Over most 0" tlje country, however, there was fairly rapid growth of vegetation during the latter half of the month, and stock have kept in fair condition. The weather was favourable for lambing and the losses have been relatively light. ' "The month was a particularly dry one over most of the Dominion. The greatest defects from normal rainfall occurred in the southern half of the North Island and the eastern area of the South Island. In some places it was the driest August ever experienced. In parts of eastern North Auckland, in the Bay of Plenty, and in the Gisborne area, the average was exceeded, chiefly on' account of heavy rain which occurred about August 24 and 30.

•'At a few places in North Auckland and in Hawke's Bay, the mean tempfirature was slightly below normal, but over the remainder of the country the normal was exceeded. The departure was in the vicinity of .5 deg. in the North Island, but greater in the south, and at places in the western and far southern districts it exceeded 2deg. .'. very cold spell set in on the evening of the 6th, and continued through the 7th. The 13th and 14th, also, were cold, and some severe frosts followed. "There was a prevalence of cloudy weather, and the amount of. bright sunshine recorded fell below the averas^ for August, the deficiency being greatest in the eastern districts of the South Island. Nelson had 192.4 hours, which was 17.2 hours below the average. ONLY ONE BIG STORM. "One storm system alone during the month caused generally-disturbed conditions. This was a deep depression of the westerly type which passed over the Dominion from the 3rd to the 7th of the month. Strong winds and fairly general rains occurred during this period, the worst effects being experienced on the night of August 6 and on August 7, when a : severe' southwesterly gale blew in most districts, with hail and snow in places. By the Bth the front of an anticyclone had extended on to the Dominion, and from then until August 26, pressure remained high. On August 13 and 14 the highest pressure was over southern New Zealand' and cold south-easterly winds blew along the East Coast, accompanied by showers between Cook Strait and East Cape. By August 19 the centre of the anti-cyclone had passed eastwards and thereafter it remained practically stationary in the ;vicinity of the Chatham Islands until August 25. . . :. i "An intense cyclonic depression, which was located off the New South Wales coast on August 21, moved very slowly across the Tasman Sea during the next few days, and from August 23 :to* 27- was responsible for north-east winds and mild, dull, misty weather,in the Dominion, with scattered rains. The latter were mostly light, but some heav falls occurred at places in North Auckland and on the east coast of the North Island. By August 27, when it had at last crossed-the "Dominion, the cyclone had become a very shallow one, and the southerly which was associated with its rear proved a very mild one. ■''■«'■ "Anti-cyclonic ~ conditions and' fine weather again ruled on August 28 and '29, but on the latter day a fresh cyclonic depression formed to the north-west of New Zealand. This moved slowly, at first, in a south-east-erly and later in an easterly direction, passing Cape Maria van Diemen to the :nofthward on August 30. Dull and misty weather prevailed over most of the country. Gales from between east and south-east blew in the northern and eastern portions of the North Island on August 30 and 31, accompanied in many places by heavy rain. In the Bay of Plenty some flooding occurred. Except in the districts mentioned, however, the rain was only light."