A DRY YEAR

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20135, 3 January 1940, Page 10

A DRY YEAR

RAINFALL IN WAIROA YEARLY TOTAL OF 33.521 N. WELL BELOW AVERAGE (Special to the Herald.) WAIROA, this day. Last year proved to be one of the driest ever experienced in Wairoa, the rainfall for the 12 months totalling only 33.52 in. Only on two other occasions, 32.41 in. in 1937 and 33.08 in. in 1931. were lower rainfalls recorded. Last year 11 months experienced rainfall below the average, November being the only month in which the normal monthly fall was exceeded.

Rain fall on 128 days during 1939, July experiencing a greater number of rain days than any other month of the year. Rain fell on 17 days during that month, the fall of 4.66 in. being .GOin. below the average for July.

A total of 18.48 in. of rain was recorded during July in 1938, this being the highest rainfall for that month ever recorded in Wairoa. The lowest rainfall ever recorded for July was in 1924, when only 1.70 in. was registered. The rainfall recorded for 1938 totalled 70.84 in., this exceptionally high fall being the result of the floods experienced in the district in April and July of that year. December Recordings A total of 2.28 in. of rain was recorded during December of last year, this fall being ,89in. below the average for December. Rain fell on eight days during the month, the following being the individual daily recordings:—December 2, ,22in.; December 10, ,23in.; December 11, ,32in.; December 12, ,20in.; December IG, ,23in.; December 25, ,G4in., December 2G, ,20in.; December 27, ,24in.

The following are the monthly falls for last year:—Januai-y, ,96in.; February, ,80in.; March, 1.55 in.; April, 3.41 in.; May, 5.35 in.; June, 3.93 in.; July, 4.5 Gin.; August, 1.70 in.; September, 1.88 in.; October, 2.72 in.; November, 4.38 in.; December, 2.28 in.