WARM WEATHER

Grey River Argus, 11 January 1944, Page 2

WARM WEATHER

December Record

WELLINGTON, Jan. 10. “December was a warm settled month,” states the Dominion Meteorologist is his review. Disturbances which crossed New Zealand were weak and any strong winds were of short duration. Most districts have had excellent conditions for harvesting and shearing, although some of the wool has been short. There has not been sufficient rain for many of the small crops and burnt pastures are adversely affecting dairy production. By the end of the month the fire hazard throughout the country was becoming serious. Rainfall: With few exceptions the month was very dry. Average totals were reached locally at Whangafei and about Taupo and exceeded at most places between Hastings ana East Cape. Other districts were dry, the South Island as a whole had only about half its usual rainfall and Canterbury considerably less. In northern parts of that province some totals were extremely small. Temperatures: Mean temperatures for the month were mostly 1 or 2 decrees above normal. Temperatures were persistently high but on the 6th there were some light frosts affecting garden growth in parts of Southland Sunshine: Except in the southeastern portion of the Auckland Province the duration of sunshine was more than average, generally by substantial amounts. Wellington (with 313.2 hours) and Hokitika experienced the largest surpluses. Weather sequence: At first a slight depression in the north was giving a few showers about the Bay of Plenty and northern Hawke’s Bay. As a cold front crossed New Zealand from the west on the 2nd and 3rd most districts except Hawke’s Bay and those south of Banks Peninsula, experienced a period of rain. A small circulation developing northwest of Cook Strait caused heavy falls on either side of the Strait. An anticyclone advancing over the northern Tasman covered New Zealand on the 4th when conditions were mainly fair. A trough which advanced from the south between the 4th and 6th gave a few showers in eastern districts and rather < cool temperatures in the south. During a thunderstorm near Tophouse on the afternoon of the sth. 1.41 inches of rain fell in 30 minutes. An anti-cyclone from the south had spread over New Zealand by the 6th, moderate northerlies predominated and except for isolated rain at first in the far north the weather was fair with temperatures becoming warmer. A trough' which had been off southern New Zealand gave rain in the far south-west on the 10th, but when it advanced the next dav light south-easterlies were accompanied by negligible rain and only slightly cooler temperatures. An anti-cyclone soon covered the South Island and merged with the other east of the North Island. The weather was mainly fair but on the 14th north-westerlies began to freshen in central and southern districts with some gales on the 15th and 16th near Cook Strait. Intermittent rain developed in the west of the South Island and. some heavy rain extended along the ranges to T’aranaki. After disturbances passed off south-western New Zealand, a weak cold front advanced northward on the 16th and brought only a brief southerly to the east coast of the South Island. Pressure continued relatively high to the northeast but became very low to the extreme south and north-westerlies or westerlies became strong in exposed positions. Isolated showers fell in western districts and there were scattered thunderstorms in Auckland province where it had been warm and mild. A moderate southerly change on the 18th and 19th gave a few showers mainly in Otago and and Canterbury .and later a disturbance deepening north of the Auckland province gave some steady rain in northern districts, especially in the Napier-Gisborne-Bay of Plenty area On the 21st an anti-cyclone was intensifying over the Tasman Sea, the weather becoming fair to fine and! continuing settled and warm on the following two days. On the 24th the anti-cvclone moved eastwards from the North Island, and north-westerlies became strong ahead of an advancing trough which was followed by a brief period of fresh south-westerlies. Moderaterain occurred in Westland and & few .scattered showers in other southern districts. South-westerhes accompanying a cold front which

reached New Zealand during the 25th gave showers in Otago and Southland and on the following two days isolated showers extended up the east coast whfere temperatures became cooler. An anticyclone from the west covered New Zealand on the 28th with fail' to cloudv weather prevailing. A shallow trough passing diver the South Bland on the 30th gaiye a brief period of south-westerlies with insignificant rain and coolen temperatures, but as the trough continued northwards it became still weaker and the following anti-cydlone merged with the one ahead. I