AUGUST WEATHER

Grey River Argus, 11 September 1939, Page 4

AUGUST WEATHER

METEOROLOGIST’S REPORT. WELLINGTON. September 7. The Dominion Meteorologist reports as follows on the weather of the past month: — 1 General: August was rather a wet month. In many’ districts where there has been little sunshine, conditions have been poor for stock and pasture alike. The warmer rains in the latter part of the month have, however, resulted in a spring flush and crops are beginning to make good growth. In the sunnier districts there was a continual growth throughout the month. The milder conditions prevailing at the close of the month are promising for a suc- ( cessful spring to the man on the land. Rainfall: Rain fell frequently throughout the month. Most or the South Island received more than the average rain. The. figures for the central portions of the North Island were well above normal, but east of the ranges south of East Cape falls were light and were under half the average in many cases. . .

Temperature: Over the North Island, except in Taranaki, . temperatures leached the normal figure and were one or two degrees above it in eastern areas. Except for Marlborough, the South Island temperatures were on the average two degrees below normal. Frosts were fairly severe in the first half of the month. Some snow fell chiefly in ihe period 11th. to 13th. in the South Island and in the Taupo-Rotorua region. Sunshine: It was a poor month for sunshine in the South Island, again excepting Marlborough, with records more than 20 hours below average. Taranaki was also under average', but I the rest of the North Island was not far off the standard figure. i Thunderstorms: A number of these occurred throughout the month, particularly during the 30th. Apart’ from blown fuses, the damage was negligible. | Pressure Systems: At first showery conditions prevailed on the i_,ast Coast of ihe North Island, but an anticyclone gradually extended from the South Island over the whole uominion, giving mainly fair to fine weather with southerly winds and cool temperatures. As a complex depression approached the anti-cyclone began to move away on the 7th., resulting in moderate to strong northerly winds and rising temperatures. This and a succession of shallow depressions kept the weather unsettled, with heavy rain at times chiefly in western districts. With south-easterly winds south of Christchurch on me 10th. and 11th., there was dull, cold wea . - er, followed by snow. Between the 'Australian anti-cyclone and the very low pressure centre to the southeast, there was a strong south-west-, erly gradient. Conditions improved rapidly in the east, but were cold, changeable and showery in the west. In this period, snow fell in the centre of the North Island, and down to low- levels in many parts of the South Island. Hail was also Widespread. From' the 15th. to 17th., the situation was more, of the westerly type with strong,, squally winds esr peciallyover the Auckland Peninsula; ,i-W; Li's .

the weather was mainly fair east of the ranges but very changeable and cool elsewhere., with many thunderstorms and heavy' rain. . The Mana • watu district experienced serious ’flooding. On the 18th. and 191 n., the .weather was unsettled with ligut falls ; chielly in central provinces. After (the 20th.. north-easterlies predominated for several days, with relatively high pressure persisting to the southeast. Rain fell at times mainly in the upper half of the North Island I Heavy rain on the 16th. and 17th. re-1 suited in serious Hooding in the Mana-1 jwatu. From the 22nd. a number of 1 shallow depressions arrived, bringingrain to western areas. On'the 25th, one of lhose merged into the weakened remains of a deep depression which had travelled very slowly from ( Tasmania. Heavy rain fell in central provinces, the wet weather travelling southwards and then returning to Cook Strait. On the 26th. and 27th., flooding occurred in the Kaikoura district. Although northeasterlies blew for a spell on the East Coast, westerlies gradually' extended from the North. Until the end of the month there were fair intervals! between the series of westerly depres-l sions with winds between north-west I and south-west. On the 30th.. thunderstorms were widespread, and in many cases were accompanied by heavy hail showers.