THE WEATHER

Hokitika Guardian, 11 December 1934, Page 2

THE WEATHER

CONDITIONS. DURING NOVEMBER

General.—November was a remarkable month. Conditions were unusually uniform throughout the country and everywhere were characteristic of a summer rather than a spring month. The rainfall was the lowest for many years. Temperatures were much above normal and although higher mean temperatures have 'been experienced in previous years, it has never been go uniformaly warm. At numbers of places the extreme maximum temperature was tho highest ever recorded in November. The lack of rain and continuous sunshine are causing pastures to become browned

in .many places. The severity of the heat has, ■ however, been mitigated so far as vegetation is concerned by the lack of wind, especially very strong winds. Though r a in is now badly needed there is still ample feed in most disti'ots. Stock are in good condition and the milk yield is fairly well maintained. Lambs have fattened well shearing has been carried on with little trouble; and crops are, on the whole, doing slltisfactorily. .

rEainfall:— Good rains were experienced in North Auckland, the November average being considerably exceeded., The same wias the case at a few places in tho interior of the North Island and the Bay 'of Plenty district. These, areas formed only a small fraction of the whole country iand in all other parts there wa s a very marked shortage. Large .areas of the

west coast of*'the South Island received Less than a quarter of the normal rainfall and for the whole Island the average deficit was about 50 per cent. Temperatures.— Temperatures were much above normal, especially iat inland stations, the departures in numbers of cases exceeding 50F. There were very few frosts and at few places were any sufficiently severe to cans* damage.

Sunshine. —The niouth was ve r y gunny, the average being exceeded in practically all districts. Blenheim had 276.8 hours, New Plymouth 275.8, and Wellington 274.9. Storm systems. SJtoi’ms vvero conspicuous by their absence over New Zealand- During tho first few days a very shallow low-pressure trough mainly cd northwards over the Dominion and caused fairly general though mainly irmly light to moderate rain. On the Bth day a very deep cyclone developed over Tasmania but it moved southwards and filled up before reaching New Zealand. The same happened again at the end of the month with a cyclone which caused widespread devastation in Victoria. A slight disturbance passing between the 12th and 13th was responsible for s °me very welcome down pour s on either side of Oook Strait, though little irain fell elsewhere. The only general rain,<: occurring during the month wer-3 associated with a storm which developed into a deep cyclone over the Tasman ,Sea on the 17th. Rain_ was very widespread from the 17th to the 20th and the totals were almost everywhere considerable. Even th’.e storm however, was rapidly losing energy when crossing New calami and the amount of lyiu produced bv it was rather disappointing. Another slight disturbance passed between the 26th and the 28tli and caused some scattered showers.. Thunderstorms were rather frequent during the mouth, and a td’gh'fe • torna la occur Sad near 'Christ.--church on the ISth. Practically no wind R of gale force were experienced. A conspicuous feature of the weather was the way in which disturbances, vigorous over Australia, petered out before reaching New Zealand, and especially the absence of strong westerly,winds in such disturbances as reached us. In consequence, even the wettest parts of the West -Coast sometimes went entirely without rain.