FEBRUARY WEATHER

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 86, 8 March 1930, Page 6

FEBRUARY WEATHER

FAVOURABLE TO CROPS AND STOCK. Per Press Association. AVELLINGTON, March 7. February weather, according to a report by Dr. E. Kidson, the Director of Meteorological Services, was a very dry one over the greater part of the Dominion, in contrast with the month of January. The whole of the South Island, he said, with the exception of Puysegur Point, had a low rainfall, the deficiency being greatest in the North Canterbury,,-. Marlborough, Nelson and AVestland provinces. Most of the North Island also experienced less than the average, but a considerable excess was recorded in the East Coast portion from Poverty Bay northwards and throughout the Auckland Peninsula. This effect was brought about by a predominance of south-easterly winds which were associated with cyclones passing to the north of the Dominion. Even in those districts where rain was scanty, the growth of grass was well maintained throughout. The effect of the lack of rain was small owing to the heavy falls in previous months, to the absence of drying winds, and to the cool and somewhat changeable weather which prevailed. Conditions were, indeed, at times, more of a spring than a summer type. On the whole, the month was favourable to all classes of stock. Dairy herds have milked well and sheep and lambs have thrived in most districts. The latter, however, have not fattened as well as might have been expected at this season of the year owing to the rankness and softness of the pasture, ltcports indicate good crop yields, but the absence of warm sunshine has caused harvesting to be much later than usual. In many districts root crops have done remarkably well, the weather having been most favourable to this class of crop.

The mean temperature was again markedly below normal, for although there were many warm days the nights were invariably cool. The pressure systems responsible for periods of unsettled weather were mainly cyclonic in form. The Auckland, Bay of Plenty and Poverty Bay districts experienced considerable rainfall between the Ist and the stli, while a cyclone was located to the north-east of Cape Maria van Diemen. This disturbance passed rapidly away oil the night of the sth and from then on to the 13th the dominating influence was a slow-moving, fairly, intense anti-cyclone. Except in the areas and during the period mentioned, fine weather of unusual brilliance was experienced over the Dominion until the 13th. Only two depressions of the westerly type were recorded during the month, ono on tli© 16th and th© oth©r on th© night of the 23rd. The former followed closely on a cyclone which had moved gradually across the northern Tasman Sea and crossed the North Island during the night of the 15th. Heavy rain was associated wfcth this cyclone in the North Island on the 13th, 14th and 15th, more especially in the northern and East Coast portions, where some flooding occurred at places. The observer at Maraehako Station, in the Bay of Plenty, measured 11 inches of rain on the 15th. A second very fine spell set in on the 25th and continued to the close of the month. At this time there was evidence of an intense tropical cyclone operating to the north-east of New Zealand. It was too far away to have any general unfavourable effect on the Dominion’s weather, but some scattered rain fell in the Auckland and East Cape districts, and on the afternoon of the 28th a severe thunderstorm occurred in the neighbourhood of Taumarunui. A house at Te Koura suffered considerable damage by lightning, the veranda collapsing and the front of the house being scorched.