WEATHER IN JUNE EXCEPTIONALLY MILD DOMINION SUMMARY

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 5, 6 July 1939, Page 5

WEATHER IN JUNE EXCEPTIONALLY MILD DOMINION SUMMARY

Summarising the weather in June as it affected the Dominion as a whole, Dr. M. A. F, Barnett, Director of Meteorological Services, remarks that the chief characteristic of. the month was its mildness. Few Junes have been milder. Due to the number of well-developed westerly situations, unusual for this season, the weather in western districts differed greatly from that iri eastern. The former were wet, while the latter had a lighter rainfall. However, most places had a pleasant month, for'the frequent fair intervals were both mild and calm. The temperatures favoured the growth of grass and have brought, on early flowers. The extra grass growth is a boon to farmers as supplies of winter food are rather short generally. Marlborough and Canterbury had enough' rain to render the ground fit for cultivation, and the rain has been beneficial to the autumn sowings. The mildness of the season seems to have encouraged plant parasites. Stock everywhere is thriving w.ell.

The precipitation was spread fairly uniformly throughout the month. Western districts and the Auckland Province had falls well above average. South of East Cape and in North Canterbury and parts of Otago there were rainfall deficits. A remarkable feature was that the' showers, though fairly brief, were of considerable intensity.

Mean temperatures were again above normal. In most cases the departures were considerable, amounting to two degrees or more. Although frosts were numerous in the south they were not severe. A considerable amount of hail fell but at this time of the year it did little damage. During two periods snow fell, but it did not lie long on the lower hills. In the North Island snow reached the foothills in Ha-wke's Bay.

The hours of bright sunshine in most places did not reach the normal figure, except in isolated parts of the East Coast.

There were widespread thunderstorms. The lightning was intense and, although structural damage was slight, there was considerable interference in telephone and power circuits. New Plymouth and Maungatapere each reported a small whirlwind.

Under the influence of an anticyclone moving north-eastwards from the west of the South Island, the weather -for the first four- days was mainly fair with light winds. On the sth a slight 'disturbance crossed the South Island and drizzling rain fell from Taranaki southwards and in Cook Strait. The main centre of a complex and extensive depression which had been forming in the Tasman Sea then deepened and slowly crossed Southland and Stewart Island. Northerly winds in the north reached gale force and, except for Canterbury and Otago, rain was almost general, with-heavy falls in central and western areas.

On the 9th the northern extension oft this disturbance crossed the Auckland Province: there it was still showery, but elsewhere a temporary improvement occurred as the centre of lowest pressure moved off to the south-east. Due to the active deepening of this centre the advance of an anticyclone was checked and numerous secondary disturbances associated with the main one crossed the country. This produced a very cold and stormy southerly spell between the 10th and 13th. Intense showers, often with hail and thunder, were widespread, and snow fell in both islands, reaching down to' the foothills in Hawke's Bay. The North Island mountains received the first mantle of the season.

As the anticyclone moved over" the north of the Dominion, shallow westerly depressions passed in the south. A deeper depression influenced the whole country between the 19th and 22nd. It proceeded in a south-easterly direction, leaving the South Island near Dunedin. With it came more rain in the. north, spreading gradually southwards. On the 20th the weather was particularly thick between Dunedin and East Cape. During this period further snow fell in the southern ranges.

Kapidly-moving westerly depressions travelled across the Dominion from the 22nd to the 26th, when the usual changeable conditions prevailed. Some very heavy rain, with intense electrical disturbances, occurred in western and central districts, the full severity being experienced in Taranaki and the Waikato.

Further westerly depressions continued but a depression formed near Norfolk Island brought rain to Auckland Province and by the end of the month dull weather with much..-rain extended over both islands.