THE WEATHER

Grey River Argus, 9 October 1934, Page 6

THE WEATHER

SEPTEMBER REVIEW. TWO SEVERE STORMS. WELLINGTON, October 8. “A pleasant month with mild temperatures, except for the rather severe cold spell from the tenth to the twelfth,” is how Dr. E- Kidson, Director of Meteorological Services, sums up the Dominion’s weather in September. He comments that the greater part of the month was - dry in nearly all districts, but practically all centres recorded good rains at some period, and the spring growth of vegetation set in with great vigour. Generally, the season is further advanced than usual, but the reverse is the*case in South Canterbury. There is abundant pasture everywhere and stock are doing well. In some localities there were considerable losses of lambs in the cold weather referred to above, but the average percentage appears to be good. Owing to the sodden state of the soil less wheat has been sown in Canterbury than was intended. Heavy rains were recorded in the Auckland Peninsula, mainly in con nection with two cyclonic depressions which affected that area. Over practically all the remainder of the North Island the rainfall was very much below normal. In the South Taranaki Bight area it was the driest September for many yean. In the South Island, Nelson,'the West Caost, and parts of Southern Otago and South land experienced a dry month. Elsewhere, chiefly owing to heavy rains on the twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth, totals were unusually high. WARMER THAN USUAL. The reports so far received, with the exception of that for Hastings, indicate that over the North Island temperatures were above the average. At Hastings there was some cold weather at the beginning of the month with some severe frosts, and this caused the mean to be low. In the South Island conditions were very variable. Thus,

while Timaru had a cold month, Christchurch and Waimate were rather, ■warmer than usual. The average for the whole Island differed little from normal. The amount of bright sunshine was generally about average. Blenheim reports 211.2 hours, Nelson 207.2. Lake Taupo 185.9, and Napier 175.1. On the first some snow fell in the far south in the rear of a depression which had just passed eastward. It failed to extend far northwards, however, and soon ceased. Between the third and the sixth a rather vigorous cyclonic depression moved from the North Tasman Sea past the extreme north of New Zealand. It produced easterly gales in North Auckland and heavy rains there and in the north-east of the North Island. Tn the Auckland Peninsula there were rather severe floods. South of the Auckland province light rain only was recorded. RAIN AND COLD. On the eighth. a trough of low pressure lying in a north to south direction advanced on to the Dominion. Next day it passed eastward and was followed by southerly gales. Pairly general rains occurred with some heavy falls, especially in eastern districts. There were also widespread snow and hailstorms. The snow came low down on the hills in both Islands and the falls were unusually heavv. From the tenth to the twelfth was one of the coldest spells experienced this year. A slight westerly depression passed on the nineteenth. but without affect ing the weather greatly. Through, out the greater pant of the month, indeed, it was remarkable how little rain fell on the west coast, even in strong north-westerly winds. The next storm, thalt of the twenty third to twenty-seventh, was the one that produced the most rainfall. Large amounts were registered ahnosjt generally. A certain amount of flooding occurred again in North Auckland and on the easif coast between Timaru and Dunedin. The storm was a depression of cyclonic form which travelled from

Cape Maria van Diemen across the North Island to Cook Strain and thence away eastward. North-esterly ga*|P9 occurred in the north during its passage. The gale was accompanied at Auckland ami in the ITauraki Gulf by very high tides and very stormy conditions were experienced. During the lasit three days a series of westerly began to pass causing north-westerly gales, which gradually extended further northwards over the Dominion. On the night of the thirtieth, strong gales occurred about Cook Strait and in the Taranaki and Wellington provinces. Rain fell in western districts and in the southwest of rhe South Island was very heavy. To the end of the month, however, the falls elsewhere had been mainly light.