HEAVY MARCH RAINS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20525, 8 April 1941, Page 2

HEAVY MARCH RAINS

PASTURES BENEFIT MILD CONDITIONS (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. The Dominion Meteorologist, in his notes on the weather for March, states it was a mild month with pleasant weather for the first 12 days and a sustained unsettled spell thereafter. Heavy rains alleviated the effect of ,the predominantly dry conditions in eastern districts and everywhere a good autumn growth is assured. Especially in the north pastures are making phenomenal growth and root crops are making a fair recovery from drought and moth and insect damage. The softened ground has enabled seasonal cultivation to proceed apace and heavy autumn wheat sowings arc expected. Except on the coast of tjic South Island and in Southland, rainfall was in excess. In parts of Taranaki and south Auckland falls exceeded double the average, while betv/een Blenheim and Dunedin there were many places with three or four times average 'fall?. For these it was the wettest March and, in some cases, the wettest of any month for a considerable number of years. As the rains began with a light drizzle, a failamount oi water soaked into the parched ground, but there was extensive flooding. Several stations had over six inches of fain within 24 hours. Numerous thunderstorms occurred over the North Island during March 37.

Mean, temperatures were above normal almost generally. There were some eultry days in the earlier part of th« month, and towards the end there were one or two light frosts in sheltered inland localities.

As a result ol the very bright spell of weather followed by a very dull period the duration of sunshine was fairly close to normal, there being no general significant trend in the letartu res.