WEATHER VAGARIES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21607, 9 January 1945, Page 6

WEATHER VAGARIES

DECEMBER’S RAINFALL HIGH COUNTRY BENEFITS With a total of 48.92 in.. Ngatapa had one of the wettest years in 1944 since 1912. according to the gauge at Mr. W. D Cooks Kastwoodhill property. In only three of the years in the past 32 has the annual rainfall exceeded 50m.. the other two instances being 1935.' with 53.2f>in.. and 1938, with 55.91 in During December, the total fait was 2.23 in„ on 14 days, the heaviest individual fall being ,43in. on December 18. The last three months of 1944 yielded only 7.45 in. of rain. Two of the stations from which reports are received regularly report a total rainfall of over lOOin. for 1944. These are Matarau station. Loflin Point, where 10G.72in. was registered during the year, and Pakihiroa. on the lower slopes oi Mount Hiktuangi. where 104.79 in. fell. Both these places had heavy December, rains, with thunderstorms front time to time during tite month. At Lottin Point there were 15 wet days during December, and a total fall of 4.10 in„ as against 2.58 in. .for December, 1948. Tlie heaviest individual fall for the month was ,72in. on December 4. The year’s total was 10G.72in.. compared with 95.29 in. for the previous year. Consistent Pakihiroa Recordings

The Pakihiroa fall for December was 4.45 in., on nine days, with the heaviest fall on December 14. when I.BSin. fell. The year’s total recordings of 104.79 in. was nearly Bin. above that for 1943. In the last 10 years. Pakihiroa has had only three years in which the aggregate rainfall was below lOOin. these being 1937. 99.53 in.: 1939. 74.0 din.; and 1943, 96.88 in. Cape Runaway offers a curious contrast with Lottin Point, for whereas the Lottin Point figures for 1944 exceeded lOOin., those of Cape Runaway reached only 58.77 in. The 1943 total was 52in. only. In December. Cape Runaway had 2.36 in. of rain, against Jilin, for the same month of the previous year, with the heaviest single day’s fall on December 17. with ,70in. Other returns include the following:— Wairere Station. Ruatoria. —December fall, 1.48 in. on live days (1943. 3.83 in, on four days); heaviest single fall, ,70in. on December 15: total for 1944. 75.54 in. (1943, 82.49 in.). Ruangarehu Station. Tokomaru Bay. —December fall, l.Gin. on 13 days (1943, 2.89 in. on eight days); heaviest fall, ,3in. on December 4; total for 1944, CG.B9in. on 173 days (1943. 74.89 in. on 169 days); average for 22 years, 70.41 in. Owhena Station. Tokomaru Bay. — December fall, 3.42 in. on 14 days (1943, 4.89 in. on 10 days); heaviest fall, ,87in. on December 14; total for 1944, 90.90 in. (1943, 118.G9in.). Marumoko Station, Motu.—December fall, 8.03 in. on 18 days (1943. 3.84 in. on 14 days); heaviest fall, 3.lGin. on December 14; total for 1944, 92.82 in. (1943, 93. Din.). Several lightning storms were recorded during the middle of the month. Matawai. —December fall, 5.85 in. on 14 days (1943, 2.51 in. on nine days); total for 1944, 75.96 in. (1943, 84.27 in.).