METEOROLOGICAL

Greymouth Evening Star, 7 May 1930, Page 9

METEOROLOGICAL

PHASES OF THE MOON.

MAY, 1930. First quarter 6th 4.23 a.m. Full moon 13th 4.59 a.m. Last quarter 21st 3.52 a.m. New moon 28th 5.7 p.m. THE SUN, The sun sets to-day at 4.54 p.m.: rises to-morrow at 6.58 a.m. WEATHER R EPORT. Wind, east, moderate breeze; barometer 30.26; thermometer 48; tides poor; bar, moderate swell. OTHER CENTRES. Weather Ther. Maliukau Heads blue sky 60. Wanganui light clouds 47 Wellington blue sky 49 Farewell Spit blue sky 50 Westport misty 49 Christchurch misty 46 Dunedin misty 50 Bluff showery 49 WEATHER FORECAST. The indications are for variable and moderato breezes and later northerly moderate winds. There is still a prospect of fair weather, but shortly increasing haze and cloudiness with milder temperatures. Barometer little movement. Seas moderate. Tides poor.

APRIL WEATHER REVIEWED

W ELLINGTON, May 6

In his notes on the weather for April, Dr. Kidson, Director of Meteorological Services, states: April was remarkable for its high proportion of dry, sunny weather, and the relative absence of storms. There was a prevalence of anti-cyclonic conditions, with southerly winds. Consequently although the amount of sunshine was above normal, the temperature was slightly below, and frosts were rather numerous, especially in the South Is-

laild. The rain which fell did not occur in generally heavy falls, but was rather erratically distributed. Much of it came in the last three days of the month, and it was too late in most districts to produce much growth of pasture. Taranaki and Manawatu districts fared well, but in parts of the remainder of the country, and especially Canterbury and Otago, March and April both having been on a whole cool and dry, there is likely to be some shortage of feed during the winter. The total rainfall was above normal in North Auckland, about East Cape, over the low-lying parts of Taranaki, in Wellington, in most of Maidborough, and about Nelson. In other parts it was almost everywhere below the average, and in the South Island especially the deficits were large. Throughout the month storms were almost continually developing in the sub-tropical waters to the north of Tasman Sea, and thence eastward to beyond New Zealand. The majority of these failed to affect the Dominion directly to any great extent, though they assisted in the production of the prevailing high pressure and the southerly and south-easterly winds. Though causing fine weather over most of the Dominion, the latter were responsible for unpleasant and showery weather in North Auckland and north of Napier. There was remarkably little wind in most places during the month, and such' gales as occurred were shortlived. Snow fell on the highlands of the South Island on the 9th and 10th, 29th and 30th, but the amounts were not large, and the mountains are-unusually free from snow.