DROUGHT CONDITIONS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 7 February 1928, Page 5

DROUGHT CONDITIONS.

THE WEATHER IN JANUARY. GOVERNMENT METEOROLOGIST’S REVIEW. (nv TEIiKGBAI’LI —VEkSS ASSOCIATION.! WELLINGTON, Feb. 6. The Government Meteorologist supplies the following notes on the weather for January: The past month has been notable for the exceptionally dry conditions experienred over the vvkolc of "tho Laominion. The deficiency of rainfall is most .serious in districts with a westeily aspect, following as it does on a dry December. On several occasions storms developed in Australia which would normally have brought general rains to this country. In each instance, however, although some slight effect was felt, the pressure changes were reduced to shallow waves by the time the disturbance crossed the “Dominion. The most important of these waves passed on Ist to 2nd and 26th respectively. Each produced moderate rams in parts of the west coast districts, with scattered showers elsewhere. The mean pressure was the highest recorded for January in Wellington. On the whole there lias been a relative absence of wind, hut between the 16th and 19th, while a rajtber intense anti-cyclone lay across the South Island, strong easterly winds blew over the North Island, frequently reaching gale force in the far north, and causing showery weather in the Auckland peninsula. At the end of the month, owing to the previous plentiful growth of feed, the effects of the drought had not in general been severely felt, but in large narts of the North Island, especially in the central and western portions, milk returns had fallen off considerably. Elsewhere, although pastures were becoming parched, compensations were nrovided in the satisfactory maturing of the grain and fruit crops, and the season has lieen a good one. Should rain not fall by the middle of February, however, many districts, will suffer severely.