METEOROLOGICAL

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 December 1934, Page 8

METEOROLOGICAL

PHASES OF THE MOON SUMMER TIME. DECEMBER, 1934.

THE SUN The sun sets to-day at 8.1 p.m.; rises to-morrow at 4.43 a.m. WEATHER REPORT Wind, south; barometer, 29.2; thermometer, 69; tides, moderate; bar, moderate swell; river, normal; sky, blue and cloudy. AT OTHER CENTRES.

WEATHER FORECAST. General inference: Pressure is low and the weather very disturbed over the ■whole Tasman Sea area. Forecast: Light to moderate, but increasing east to north winds. Weather fine nt first, but clouding over and some rain likely later. Temperatures still warm. Seas moderate. NOTES FOR NOVEMBER. (By the Dominion Meteorologist). November was a very remarkable month. Conditions were unusually uniform throughout the country and everywhere were characteristic of a summer rather than a spring month. The rainfall was the lowest for many years. Temperatures were much above normal and although higher mean temperatures have been experienced in previous years, it has never been so uniformally warm. There was no really cold weather. At numbers of places the extreme maximum temperature was tlie highest ever recorded in November. The lack of rain and the continuous sunshine was causing pastures to become browned in many places, especially on hill slopes. The severity of the heat has, however, been mitigated so far as vegetation is concerned by the lack of wind, especially very strong winds. Though rain is now badly needed there is still ample feed in most districts. Stock are in good condition, and the milk yield is fairly well maintained. Lambs have fattened well.

Shearing has been carried on with little trouble. Crops are, on the whole, doing satisfactorily. Hay is being harvested, and ensilage being stored unusually early. Good rains were experienced in North Auckland, the November average being considerably exceeded. The same was the case at a few places in the interior of the North Island and the Bay of Plenty district. These areas formed only a small fraction of the whole country, and in all other parts there was a very marked shortage. Large areas of the west coast of the South Island recieved less than a quarter of the normal rainfall and for the whole Island the deficit was about 50 per cent. Temperatures were much above normal, especially at inland stations, the departures in numbers of cases exceeding 5 degrees F. There were very few frosts, and at very few places were any sufficiently severe to cause damage. The month was a very sunny one, the average being exceeded in practically all districts. Blenheim had 276.8 hours, New Plymouth 275.8, and Wellington 274.9.

New Moon 7 th 5.25 a.m. First Quarter 13th 10.52 pan. Full Moon 21st 8.53 a.m. Last Quarter 29 th 2.8 pan.

(From readings taken at 9 a.m.j Manukau Heads.—Line interrupted. Cape Egmont NE. cloudy 29.90 67 Wanganui NE. blue sky 29.95 73 Wellington NNW. overcast 29.90 69 Cape Campbell NW. blue sky 29.91 63 Farewell Spit SE. blue sky 29.92 73 Westport calm blue sky 29.89 67 Arthur’s Pass NW. blue sky 66 Kaikoura E. blue sky 29.83 64 Christchurch NE. blue sky 29.89 66 Dunedin NE. blue sky 29.87 62 Bluff NNW. blue sky 29.80 60 Puysegur Point NNW. blue sky 29.85 68