NOVEMBER WEATHER

Evening Star, Issue 22517, 9 December 1936, Page 2

NOVEMBER WEATHER

WIT AND CHANGEABLE MONTH The following is the Dominion meteorologist’s report on the weather for the month of November; — November proved a dull, wet, and changeable month, and consequently from the point or view of the public comfort it was an extremely disappointing one. Although there were several brief periods of cold southerly conditions, particularly on the : Bth and 9th, and during the last three days, northerly winds predominated and temperatures were, on the whole, on the mild side. As a result, there has been a wonderful growth of grass and vegetation generally, and stock are in splendid condition. The lack of sunshine, however, has kept the grass soft, and in some districts lambs have not fattened well. Frequent rainfall also caused interruption in shearing, and also a certain amount of mortality amongst shorn sheep. Generally, however, the month was a favourable one for the farmer. The total rainfall was above the average over the greater part of the Dominion, only a small portion of the coastal area in the South Taranaki Bight and Greymouth reporting a deficit. The greatest excess occurred in the Auckland province, where some places experienced more than double the usual amount. Russell had 11.32 in, against an average of 22.22 in, and Whangarei lO.llin, the average being 2.61 in. Some large excesses occurred also in Canterbury. In spite of an excess of rain, temperatures were pearly everywhere The'departure in most cases was only a fraction of a degree, but in the southern half of the North Island several places registered over 2deg Fahr., and New Plymouth as much as 3deg Fahr. Frosts occurred only on a few occasions, but some places experienced rather sharp ones on the mornings of the 15th and 16th. Some damage was caused to plants on the 15th in Hawke’s Bay. Sunshine was nearly everywhere below normal, the only one of the recording stations having an excess being Tauranga, where 215 hours were registered; Napier had 226T.9, Blenheim 209.9, and Masterton 205.4 hours. PRESSURE SYSTEMS. The first two days of November were tine under the influence of an anticyclone. The only other anti-cyclone which brought fine weather over the Dominion as a whole was one which crossed between the 15th and 17th, the remainder usually passing too far north to benefit New Zealand. On the other hand, the month was remarkable for the number of occasions on which depressions of both westerly and cyclonic type passed over or in close proximity to the Dominion. Between the 2nd and sth a cyclone moved across northern New Zealand in conjunction with a deep westerly depression passing in the south. The former was responsible for heavy rain and some flooding in North Auckland, while the latter caused a strong north-west gale in Canterbury during the night of the 3rd. Amongst other damage a church spire in course of. erection at Washdyke was wrecked. On the Bth, associated with a cyclone centred west of

the Auckland peninsula, strong southeasterly or easterly winds blew in the central provinces. Conditions were particularly boisterous in tho Cook Strait area. Severe thunderstorms, accompanied by very heavy rains, occurred in Taranaki and the central parte of the North Island. A series of depressions of the westerly type crossed the Dominion between the 11th and 14th and the 17th and 23rd, and owing to the prevalence of northwesterly winds, rain during these two periods was confined chiefly to districts with a westerly aspect. From ihe 24th to tho close of the month a succession of cyclones passed from the northward over New Zealand and widespread rain fell on most days in this period. On the 25th the central districts experienced a heavy _ northwest gale, a gust up to 76 miles per hour occurring on this day at the Kelburn Observatory, Wellington. A temporary improvement took place on the 26th, but on the last three days cold southerly winds and dull, misty, wet weather prevailed generally. The last of this series of cyclones was centred between Cook Strait, and Chatham Island on the. 30th.