MAY WEATHER

Evening Star, Issue 22359, 8 June 1936, Page 13

MAY WEATHER

GREAT STORM OF FIRST WEEK LATER PORTION SETTLED % [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, June 6. The following- is the Dominion Meteorologist’s report on the weather for the month of May :• —• General.—One of the most notable south-westerly storms in the history of the country occurred on May 2, and the weather remained wet and rather stormy- until after the close of the first week. Thereafter there occurred a spell of settled weather, unprecedented for the time of the year. From May S until the end of the month no considerable disturbance affected 'bo Dominion. There was very little, wind, but what there was came mainly Irom a southerly direction. Temperatures were, consequently, much below normal. Frosts and morning logs were numerous, but there .were many line days, and conditions were never really severe. On the whole, little growth occurred in vegetation, and in certain districts pastures have been depleted. On the other hand, feed has in some cases been hardened and its nourishing properties consequently increased. In the principal dairying districts the milk yield has fallen away, but stock are reported everywhere to be doing well. The yield of winter crops has been very variable without any pronounced general tendency.

Rainfall.—ln parts of Central Otago and much of Southland, where there was a good deal of showery weather, the rainfall was above the , average. Elsewhere the month was an extraordinarily dry one. The North Island had only about (50. per cent, of the normal fall, many places recording only about a . quarter. . Similar conditions prevailed in Nelson, Marlborough, and Canterbury. Temperatures.—Temperatures were in general between two and three degrees below normal, making the month one of the coldest Mays on record. In parts of the interior of Canterbury and in the far south, however, the normal temperature was exceeded. Some hard frosts were experienced, especially in the north-central portions of the Nprth Island. Sunshine. —A good deal of cloud occurred in eastern areas in what was otherwise fine weather, but the great majority of places had considerably more than the average amount of bright sunshine. Tauranga reports 208.7 hours, while Nelson and Lake Tekapo also had fine records. Pressure Systems.—At the beginning of the month a deep cyclone was centred near Chatham Islands. Several secondary depressions moved into this from the west, each bringing lower pressure to the Dominion. The culmination came with the last of these, on May 2. Pressure was_ extraordinarily low over the whole New Zealand area, and severe' south-Westerly gales were responsible for damage from one end ..to, ,the other of the country. The weather was very cold, with frequent heavy showers and. in many places, hail. Snow fell on the high levels, and a number of violent thunderstorms were experienced A storm of such violence over so great an area lias probably not previously been recorded in - the .Dominion,. On May 3 pressure rose and the weather improved. The westerly type, of weather continued to prevail,.however, until May 7. Conditions remained unsettled, with intermittent rain. A rather vigorous depression passed during May 6 and 7. causing practically general rain, with heavy falls in the ranges and western districts from Taranaki southwards. A certain amount of flooding occurred in the South Island. On May 6 there was a northerly gale in Cook Strait. May 7 brought a southerly change and snow again on the high country. From May 8 until the end of the month anti-cyclonic weather prevailed throughout. The air pressure was frequently very high and. fell below 30.0 inches for brief intervals only, and then principally in the northern and-south-ern extremities of the Dominion. Depressions advancing from the west rapidly lost-intensity on nearing New Zealand, and none produced more than a slight disturbance. The one causing the greatest fall of pressure passed on May 29. This was followed by rather colder weather, and a little snow again fell on some of the ranges. Generally speaking, however, the amount of snow on the mountains decreased during the month, and at the end there was less than usual at this time of tho year. Between May 22 and 28 a series of disturances followed each other on an easterly course far to tho north of the Dominion. The last of these developed into a deep cyclone. During this period wore recorded on most days in North Auckland, but the effect of the storms was much less than might have been expected. Such rain as du! occur after May 8 was very erratic, in its incidence and frequently of a very local character.