DRY DECEMBER

Manawatu Standard, Volume LI, Issue 27, 2 January 1931, Page 6

DRY DECEMBER

WEATHER LAST MONTH. VERY LITTLE RAIN. Air T R. Moore, of “Waimarama,” Terrace' End, forwards the following particulars of the rainfall recorded by him in December:—

Rain fell in measurable quantities on 11 days in December, 1930, for 1.09 inchesf Id. December, 1929 here were 18 days on which rain fell for 0.4 b 11 The average temperature for the past month was 58 17-31 degrees; in December, 1929, it was 58 18-31. ik an interesting memorandum covering the conditions last month Air Aloore states“ December, which is the first month of summer in New Zealand and corresponds to June in Britain, has been a surprise packet as tar as weather was concerned. Ihe unseasonable weather experienced in November continued up to the 19th with light showers of rain and on the Ijnh there was a hail storm with a few flakes of snow. This was followed by a great gale from the sou -west w ith the thermometer down to 39 degrees. For the first 20 days the temperature was 54 13-31 and New Zealand had not even got warm. From then onwards there was a great improvement and on the 20th the thermometer showed 75 degrees. On the 28th it was 81 degrees in the shade, the rainfall up to then being only 1.05 inches. On the 20th we had the first real summer’s day, bright, fine and clear. Dull weather set in again with a lot of fog and haze about, especially on Christmas Eve when 10 points of rain fell, but the glass was high and in spite of there being a lot of clouds, haze and mist about- early, a splendid Christmas week was enjoyed by everybody, the 27th being a perfect dav and fine weather continued to the end of the month j 77 in the shade on the 31st. Although the country is looking splendid and grass plentiful, it is very dry and rain would be welcomed. The winds have been moderate with the exception of the gale on the 17tli from the sou’-west, for the rest light breezes from the south and east, nor’-west and nor’-east. On the 3rd at 5.7 p.m. there were two little earth shakes, on the 26th at 12.30 there was another little shake. Owing to the dry weather mosquitoes and flies are conspicuous by their absence. The New Year came in with a lot of cloud and haze, but brightened into a beautiful day with the temperature up to 75 degrees in the shade. The barometer is steady at 30.1 with more summer weather probable at the time of writing.”

YEAR’S RAINFALL. Particulars of the rainfall during the past year as as follow : Inches.

The rainfall was very much under the average and the lowest since 1919 when it was 25.4 inches. The number of days on which rain fell during 1930 was 173; in 1929, 165. ,

December 1st ... .13 2nd ... .05 ’ ’ 3rd ... .05 ’ 5th ... .04 ’ 13th. ... .23 ,, l^th .22 , 16th !!! .os 20th .08 ’ 21st ... .07 24th .10 ” 29th ... .04 , 1.09

January ... 4.84 February .86 March ... .56 April ... ... 3.04 May ... ... 2.54 June ... ... 1.96 July ... ... 2.02 August ... 4.99 September ... 2.15 October ... 4.12 November ... 3.86 December - ... 1.09 32.02