FAIR TO CLOUDY

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 112, 15 May 1939, Page 8

FAIR TO CLOUDY

MILD AND WINDY

Special forecast for Wellington:—

Strong northerly winds reaching gale force, but decreasing later.

Weather mainly fair to cloudy, but brief rains possible. Mild temperatures.

The general forecast for the Dominion as a whole, issued at noon today for the ensuing 24 hours, is for westerly to north-westerly winds on much of the east coast. Otherwise north-westerlies to south-westerlies will predominate. Winds will be light to fresh over the northern portion of the North Island, but elsewhere they will be moderate to strong' and gale force will be reached in exposed positions. The weather east of the ranges will be mainly fair, while in districts with a westerly aspect and in Otago and Southland it will be changeable with occasional rain. Temperatures will be moderate to mild.

A similar type of meteorological situation to that prevailing all last week continued over the weekend, an anticyclone remaining stationary over the northern Tasman Sea with a series of westerly depressions passing along its southern side. On Saturday moderate to strong south-westerly winds were general and the weather, although cold, was fair to fine, except on the east coast of the North Island, where there were light showers. Winds yesterday had decreased in force and were tending north-westerly over much of the Dominion. On the east coast the weather had improved, but it was cloudy in western districts, while temperatures were milder. By this morning the north-westerly wind had increased to, gale force in the vicinity of Cook Strait and it was raining in Westland, but otherwise the weather today is much the same as that of yesterday. Prolonged-thunderstorms were experienced last night in parts of South Westland and in the Southern Sounds area. These storms accounted for 229 points of rain at Jackson's Bay. Auckland's weather on . Saturday was changeable with passing light showers and bright intervals. Yesterday morning was cloudy, but the afternoon was sunny. Light to moderate southerly to south-westerly breezes prevailed during the weekend and temperatures were moderate, 66 and 55 degrees being the maximum and minimum on Saturday, and 62.6 and 51.8 the maximum and minimum yesterday.

During several hours on Saturday a southerly was blowing in Wellington, making the fifth- spell of southerly weather since the previous Saturday. This is an unusually large number of southerlies to accompany the westerly type of weather of the kind which prevailed all the week. Saturday's weather was dull and cold with only 0.1 hours bright sunshine. It was, in fact., the coldest day this year, the maximum and minimum temperatures being 51.8 and. 42 degrees. Sunday morning was sunny,.but it clouded over during tlie afternoon. Bright sunshine yesterday totalled 4.9 hours and temperatures were milder than they had been the previous day, the maximum being 59.6 degrees and the minimum 50.8 degrees. The weather this morning was still fine, but the north-westerly wind had increased to gale force, two gusts with a velocity of almost 60 miles an hour being recorded at Kelburn. Christchurch had a fine weekend, much of the time being sunny. There was a moderate southerly wind on Saturday and temperatures were cool, 55.2 degrees being the maximum and 31.5 degrees the minimum. Following a frost of eight degrees, Sunday's temperatures were milder the wind having changed to a light north-east-erly breeze. The maximum was 61.3 degrees and the minimum ' 46.6 degrees. The weather this morning was fine again after some overnight showers.

Although the sun shone in Dunedin during Saturday afternoon, a strong south-westerly wind made conditions unpleasant. By yesterday, however, the wind had died away to a calm and the weather was much more pleasant. It was sunny until 1 p.m., although cloudy thereafter. It was sunny again thir. morning.