FAIR TO CLOUDY

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 118, 22 May 1939, Page 8

FAIR TO CLOUDY

COLD TEMPERATURES

Special forecast for Wellington:— Light to moderate south-easterly winds, later freshening again. An occasional light drizzle at first, but the weather for the most npart fair to cloudy with cold ter-

peratures,

The general forecast for the Dominion as -a whole, issued at riqon today for the ensuing twenty-four hours, is for winds between south" and-east prevailing; at first northward from Nelson and Marlborough. North-easterlies will rule thence southward, and northeasterlies will gradually become more widespread. Winds will be light to. moderate but will freshen. . Some scattered light rain is probable at first in eastern; and far northern districts of the North Island, but the weather'will improve in the former area and elsewhere it will be fair to fine. . Cloud,, however, will increase in the north and west generally, with rain developing within about 24 hours. , Temperatures will be cold with some frosts tonight.'. . . * "'••■"■ During the weekend an anticyclone moved with exceptional rapidity from across the southern Tasman Sea on to New Zealand. - It was preceded by _a southerly change which commenced in the far south on , Saturday afternoon and which covered the whole country by last night. Southerly to southeasterly winds are still fresh in a few places to the north of Cook Strait, but winds in the South Island have now become light and variable. Light to moderate rains accompanied, the southerly change, but the weather improved soon afterwards except on the East Coast of the North Island, where intermittent drizzling rain was; still occurring this morning. ■Temperatures on Saturday were very mild, but it hassince become quite cold. ... Following hard frosts last night, today's 9 a.m. temperature readings at a number of inland places were below, freezing point, as, for instance, Invercargill 28 degrees, Queenstown 29, and Fairlie 27. Although ; at' present the anticyclone is almost stationary over New Zealand and has become very intense, it would appear as,if wet weather is in store during; the next few days; as there is an extensive.disturbance to the west. Possibly, however, this may pass to the south of the Dominion, , Auckland had cloudy weather on Saturday with some light rain during the afternoon. Yesterday's weather was fair with passing cloud and sunshine. Light to moderate southerly to south-westerly winds prevailed during the weekend, temperatures being about the-average for.this time of the year. The maximum and minimum on Saturday were 62 and 57 degrees respectively, and on Sunday 65 and 53.8 degrees. The weather this morning was dull with intermittent light rain, two points haying fallen up to 9 a>m. Although the. north-westerly wind was strong, the weather in Wellington on Saturday was quite good all dayi 6.2 hours of bright sunshine being- recorded and the maximum temperature, reaching 61.6 degrees., Sunday's weather, however, was just the reverse, a fresh southerly which began at 1 a.m. causing dull and raw conditions. The minimum temperature on Saturday night fell to 43.6 degrees, Sunday's maximum and minimum being 50 and 44.6 degrees. Between 3 and 9 am. on Sunday 18 points of rain fell at Kelburn, and there was some light drizzle in the afternoon. Occasional squalls of light rain were still occurring this morning, especially on the eastern.side of the harbour, but the rainfall at Kelburn during the ,last 24 hours has amounted to less than one point.

Christchurch held the palm for warm temperatures on Saturday, the maximum rising to 73.6 degrees. The wind varied between north-east and northwest, the weather being cloudy but fine. There was a southerly change about 8 p.m., and a light shower accounted for two points of rain. By. yesterday morning the weather had cleared and it has since remained fine with a few passing clouds. The minimum temperature on Saturday night was 44 degrees, but temperatures on Sunday were much colder ..than Saturday's. The maximum and minimum were 52 and 30.4 degrees respectively, and there was a frost of 9.8 degrees last night. .

The southerly change reached Dunedin on Saturday afternoon and was accompanied by more rain than ■what fell in Christchurch, 12 points being recorded at the Heads. The wind yesterday changed to a light north-easterly breeze and the weather improved. The sky this morning was cloudless, but temperatures were still cold.