THE DROUGHT

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXVII, Issue LXXVII, 15 May 1919, Page 5

THE DROUGHT

AN INTERESTING STATEMENT

(BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION.) WELLINGTON, May 14.

Interviewed, Mr Bates, Government meteorologist, made an interesting reference to the present drought. There was no immediate prospect, he said, of the drought breaking up, but there were several possibilities which would have fo be watched during the week, for, at the end of these anti-cyclones, storms were prevalent. Rainfall had been deficient in Wellington for the past" four months. The actual rainfall during that period had been 8.92 inches, as against an average of 15.13 more pronounced during the last few months. Mr Bates gave the following figures for the North Island for the period of Four months ending April: Actual. Average. Maunganui 5.4 16.52 Auckland 5.73 11.82 Hamilton 8.56 14.05 Rotorua 7.75 18.67 Gisborne 5.63 15.68 •Napier 5 99 12-61 New Plymouth ... 15.88 16.05 Maeterton 6.55 11 99 Wellington 8.79 12.73 Mr Bates said the anti-cyclonic conditions had continued all over the Dominion during the past month, and the low pressures had been deflected. There was at the present time a westerly lull threatening in the South Island, and freshening north-west ivinds changing to southerly were very probable here. These, however, were not likely to bring the rain iso badly needed.