JANUARY WEATHER

Grey River Argus, 11 February 1938, Page 8

JANUARY WEATHER

A REVIEW. WELLINGTON, February 9. The Dominion meteorologist reports:—January was a very warm and humid month. Though the rain was .very heavy in some parts and above the average in most districts, there wexe comparatively few wel days, and in the middle of the month there was almost a fortnight of bril liantly fine weather with liti|? wind. During the latter period some ver> high temperatures were recorded. As has - been characteristic of this summer, the rain has come at very opportune times, and when it did come was generally heavy. In consequence, there is abundance of pas ture in most parts of tahe country. The wheat crop is turning out much better than seemed likely a few months ago,. and most other crops are doing very well. Stock are in good condition, and the milk yiel i has been well maintained. Lambs, though fattening better than earliei in the season, are still, apparently somewhat on .the light side. Rainfall: The total rainfall for the month was generally above average. This was especially the case in Taranaki, Hawke’s Bay, Wellington and Canterbury. In North Auck land, the Bay of Plenty area, Nelson and Marlborough, the departure' from normal were not generally large and excesses and deficits were mingled. In parts of Southland and -south-eastern Otago the month was a dry one. Temperatures: Mean temperatures were 3 to 5 degrees above normal over the North Island, and mainly from 2 to 3 degrees anove norma) over the South Island. In the North Island, the only warmer January hitherto recorded was that of 1935 But for the one cold spell, which se! in from the 23rd. to the 26th., . the means for. the month would have been considerably higher. Many high readings were reported, but the atmosphere was generafiv too humid for records to be broken. Sunshine: Sunshine was above average over most of the country, some high totals being recorded in the northern part of, the North Island, including 284.8 hours at Tau ranga and 283.5 hours at Hamilton East. Southland had an unusually sunny month for that part, Invercargill reporting 230.1 hours. There was- slightly less than the average in Canterbury and Westland. Pressure Systems: There were only three disturbed periods during the' month. The first was from the 4th. to sth. A deep westerly depression passed in the south on tne 4th. and a shallow one crossed the central portion of the Dominion on the sth. A somewhat similar sequence of events occurred during the 6th. to the 9th., the second depression on this occasion being rather deeper and taking a more southerly course. Except in the north-eastern portion of the North Island, these disturbances each brought almost general rains., with many heavy falls. The rain Was very beneficial after the preceding dry and warm spell. From the 10th. to 21st., high pressure and anti-cyclonic conditions. prevailed. The weather was almost, continuously fine and very warm. On the 22nd. a depression was approaching from the Tasman Sea. In this a vigorous cyclonic centre developed suddenly on the 23rd. and was located to the west of Cook Strait until the evening of the 24th. It was responsible ' for a brief northerly gale, at Auckland on the 24th., but the southerly gales which commenced in the South Island on the 23rd. and, extending northwards, did not finally die out until the 25th., were more severe and some damage was done by them. This storm caused general rain which was heavy everywhere exceptin parts of Otago and Southland. Particularly heavy falls were recorded in North Canterbury Wellington, Taranaki, and Hawke’s , Bay. Severe flooding occurred in southern Hawke’s Bay, where the falls in the low levels were unprece dented. A number of places had over 9 inches in 24 hours, and at Rissington in three days there were 12.13 inches. Fortunately, the rain In the ranges was much lighter, so that the amount of damage done was relatively small. A slight depression caused some scattered rains on the 29th. and 30th., particularly in districts with a westerly aspect. In some places the rain was „ accompanied by thunder, and thunderstorms were generally of frequent occurrence during the month.