A BAD MONTH

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 84, 6 October 1943, Page 3

A BAD MONTH

WEATHER IN SEPTEMBER

Reviewing the weather in September as it affected the Dominion as a whole, the Meteorological Office states that the month was an abnormal one with persistently unsettled conditions. Many well-developed cyclonic depressions passed over the New Zealand region and eachxme gave fairly general rain. With only transient fair periods the month was most unpleasant, and, following a poor August, it proved severe for young stock. Lambing losses were very highs The lack of sunshine lately has been detrimental to growth which, though appreciable in places, is rank. Waterlogged ground has been unsuitable for tillage and spring sowings have been hindered. On the whole, the season is very backward. With minor exceptions ram has been heavy and frequent, and few wetter Septembers have been experienced in New Zealand. The most marked surpluses occurred between Oamaru and East Cape, where nearly every place exceeded double the average fall, and in not a few instances treble the average. Amongst those places receiving over 10 inches were the southern Wairarapa, Hutt Valley (the wettest month for several decades), Motueka, parts of Marlborough, and North Canterbury- In the far south, totals rapidly decreased, and in Stewart Island only about half the usual rain fell. Mean temperatures were about normal over the North Island and the Nelson Province, but over the remainder of the country were cooler than usual, departures increasing in Canterbury and Otago to two degrees or more. For most of the country September was a very dull month, with sunshine totals far below normal. Many new low records were established throughout Canterbury, in Nelson, and Wanganui. At Invercargill there was a slight surplus.