Coldest September for Many Years

Horowhenua Chronicle, 8 October 1931, Page 6

Coldest September for Many Years

EFFECT ON FEED AND STOCK. WELLINGTON, Last Night. A summary of the weather for Sep tomber by Mr. B. V, Pemberton, acting meteorological ofiicer, states that September proved the most unsettled month and hopes that the winter type of weather had departed with August were not fulfilled. The temperatures were decidedly cold, particularly during the first half of the month and once again they were less than normal throughout the greater part of the Dominion. In some -districts indeed, it was the coldest September experienced since the records had been kept. This was the case in Wellington, where the difference below normal was 3.3 P., while at Christchurch it was as much as 4.1 E.

A marked feature of the month was the predominance of winds. 1 Although usually they were, only moderate in force, those on the sth, 6th and on the 9th were severe.

One of the most serious effects of such southerly rainstorms at this time of the year is the inevitable mortality amongst lambs. In the Canterbury and Waikato districts the loss was fairly considerably as it was also in some of the -high country stations where <*uow accompanied the southerlies. Vegetation was much slower in growth than usual in this season, some pastures which had been eaten down showing little signs of filling up. . But towards the latter part of the month when there was a tendency for milder conditions there ,was a distinct improvement in this respect. The cold and the insufficient growth of grass was reflected in the deteriorated condition of the stock and consequently the dairy herds should yield much below the average. The rainfall was above normal over the north except the northern poi’tion of the Auckland peninsula and on the west side of Mount Eghiont. Above the average totals were also experienced along most of the east coast of the South Island, but all the western half of Otago and the high country had a deficiency, a few places in Westland having less than half the usual amount, while Arthur's Pass recorded only 19 per cent, of its average.