THE WEATHER

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIX, Issue 161, 9 June 1939, Page 2

THE WEATHER

MAINLY FAIR TO FINE. Per Press Association. WELLING TON, June 9. Though it has risen sunieivlial pressure is still low over the Dominion, hut over >~HJUth-Ea.storn Australia tnere has been a considerable rise. l’"oreeast.—Light to moderate nortliii westerly to westerly winds prevailing ■ and 11 eslieiiing at times. Weather, L | mainly fair to fine, hut changeable at 0 tunes with some scattered showers, especially in western areas. Temperalures, cooler, feeas, moderate. THE RAINFALL. The Palmerston North Boys’ High School reports that for the 2-1 hours which ended at 9 a.m., today .IGin. of rain fell in Palmerston North. WEATHER IN MAY. METEOROLOGIST’S REV IKW. VERY DRY PERIOD. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Juno 8. “Over much the greater part of the country May was extremely dry," states the Dominion Meteorologist in t a review of last month’s weather. ' “For many places the rainfall was the lowest hitherto recorded and the same applies still more generally to the totals for the first five months of the . year. The weather was mild with : little wind and no very damaging D frosts. The conditions lavoured continued growth of pasture. Feed is generally short, however. especially s lor cattle, and though May caused a less severe drain on supplies than was feared, the prospects for the winter continue to cause anxiety. .Supplementary feed crops have generally ' done poorly, especially in the South - Island. The ground, also. has been Loo hard for proper cultivation. This has resulted in a smaller area of wheat lie'ng sown than is usual. The rains toward the end of the month relieved the situation in most districts, permitting ploughing to proceed. Apart from some shortage of feed the conditions have been very favourable T for stock .which are generally in a ' healthy condition. “The rainfall totals over the North Island averaged lvotween 00 and 70 per cent, below normal. Numbers of places had a defect of over 80 per cent- Tn comparatively few places was half the average for May recorded. Tn the South Island conditions were onlv a little better in eastern districts. On ij the West Coast and in Stewart Island, however. the normal was in most eases exceeded. Parts of the Nelson province had less than average, but tile city itself had a wet month. “Temperatures were above normal practically everywhere, the average departure lieing about one degree K. Frosts were numerous and rather severe in the South Island owing to iho anti-cyclonic weather prevailing with clear skies and little wind. In the North Island the nights were ratl’er milder. Snow was confined to a few light falls on the ranges, and there Is much less on them than usual at this time of the year. “Most places report considerably more than average sunshine, though 0 | the reverse was the ease at Wellington and Hokitika. Invercargill also had slightly less than usual. Many places hail over 30 hours above average. Tauranga reports 206.4 hours. Nek on 190.7, and New Plymouth 187.0. “A dry type of pressure system continued to predominate in May, as in the preceding months of this year. Low pressure troughs which lay approximately in the north to south direction anil were cpiite active when passing eastern Australia, in nearly all cases lost energy before reaching New Zealand. The southern portion of the disturbance would move much faster than the northern so that the trough would tend more nearly into a west to cast direction and become shallow. Before one anticyclone had moved off the North Island, another would be moving onto the South. Thus, though the whole gamut- of wind changes was experienced frequently over most of the country, it was accompanied by little rain. At Wellington, for example, in one week, there were five separate south‘j erlv wind changes with northerlies intervening, while only light showers wore recorded. Between May 5 and May 7, a moderate westerly depression crossed the South Island and caused widespread rain but chiefly in western and southern districts. On this occasion there was a heavy fall in Nelson which was of great benefit. From May S to May 13 a south-west-erly type of weather prevailed with high pressure over the Tasman Sea. and low to the east of New Zealand. Frequent slight, disturbances brought further rain to western and southern districts of the South Island, but over eastern districts and the North Island it continued dry. During this period there were gales on several days in trie far south. From May 14 to May 23 though two more slight westerly depressions passed in the south, high pressure and anti-cyclonic weather prevailed over the Dominion and particularly the North Island. The one depression in the month which did have and maintain a marked extension to both north and south approached from the Tasman Sea. There were northerly gales about Cook Strait on May 25 and some strong southerlies in the'rear of the depression. It was re- , sponsible for general rain, with heavy 5 falls in most districts. Tn Nelson, Marlborough and Westland rivers reached flood levels. The temperatures remained fairly mild and the snowfalls on the ranges due to this storm were only light. The rains were thus _of great value to the country, relieving the water shortage which existed _ at manv places, and bringing the soil into a satisfactory condition. RAIN AT NEW”PLYMOUTH. 3 . . % Per Pross Association. NEW PLYMOUTH, Juno 8. Torrential rain fit New Plymouth this morning was interrupted in the central part of the town by the pass, ing of a whilwind which, however, did no' damage. Stratford experienced a deluge at the same time and thq railway yards were under water. In the 1 past four days nearly twelve inches of rain lias fallen on the northern slopes . of Mount Egrnont. RIVER GAUGE. Noon. —3ft. Gin.