WEATHER IN JANUARY

Evening Star, Issue 22879, 10 February 1938, Page 20

WEATHER IN JANUARY

WARM AND HUMID MONTH HIGH TEMPERATURES RECORDED The following is the report of the Dominion Meteorologist on the weather for the month of January:— January was a very warm and humid month. Though the rain was very heavy in some pans and above average in most districts there were comparatively few wet days, and in the middle of the month there was almost a fortnight of brilliantly fine weather, with little wind. During the latter period some very high temperatures were recorded. As has been characteristic of this summer, the rain has come at very opportune times, and when it did come was generally heavy. In consequence there is abundance of pasture in most parts of the country. The wheat crop is turning out much better than seemed likely a few months ago, and most other crops are doing very well. Stock arc in good condition, and the milk yield has been well' maintained. Lambs, though fattening better than earlier in the season, are still, apparently, somewhat on the light side. RAINFALL. The total rainfall for the month was generally above average. This was especially the case in Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay, Wellington, and Canterbury. In North Auckland, the Bay of Plenty area, Nelson, and Marlborough the departures from normal were not generally large, and excesses and deficits were mingled. In parts of Southland and south-eastern Otago the month was a dry one. TEMPERATURES. Mean temperatures were three to five degrees above normal over the North Island, and •'mainly from two to three degrees above over the South Island. In the North Island the only warmer January hitherto recorded was that of 1935. But for the one cold spell, which set in from the 23rd to the 26th, the means for the month would have been considerably higher. Many high readings were reported, but the atmosphere was generally too humid for records to be broken. SUNSHINE. Sunshine was above average over most of the county, some high totals being recorded in the northern part of the North Island, including 284.8 hours at Tauranga and 283.5 at Hamilton East. Smithland had an unusually sunny month for that part, Invercargill reporting 230.1 hours. There was slightly less than the average in Canterbury and Westland. PRESSURE SYSTEMS. There were only three disturbed periods during the month. The first was from the 4th to sth. A deep westerly depression passed in the south on the 4th, and a shallow one crossed the central portion of the Dominion on the sth. A somewhat similar sequence of events occurred during the 6th to the 9th, the second depression on this occasion being rather deeper and taking a more southerly course. Except in the north-eastern portion of the North Island these disturbances each brought almost general rains, with many heavy falls. The rain was very beneficial after the preceding dry and wi;m spell. From the 10th to the 21st high pressure and anti-cyclonic conditions prevailed. 'The weather was almost continuously fine and very warm. On the 22nd a depression was approaching from the Tasman Sea. In this a vigorous cyclonic centre developed suddenly on the 23rd, and was located to the west of Cook Strait until the evening of the 24th., It was responsible for a brief northerly gale at Auckland on the 24th, but the southerly gales which commenced in tho South Island on the 23rd, and, extending northwards, did not finally die out until the 25th, were more severe, and some damage was done by them. This storm caused general rain, which was heavy everywhere except in parts of Otago and Southland. Particularly heavy falls were recorded in North Canterbury, Wellington, Taranaki, and Hawke’s Bay. Severe flooding occurred in southern Hawke’s Bay, where the falls in the low levels were unprecedented. A number of places had over nine inches in 24 hours, and at Rissington in three days there were 12.15 inches. Fortunately, tho rain in the ranges was much lighter, so that the amount of damage done was relatively small. A slight depression caused some scattered rains on the 29th and 30th, particularly in districts with a westerly aspect. In some places the rain was accompanied by thunder, and thundeistorms were generally of frequent occurrence during the month.