April Dry and Cold

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 109, 9 May 1941, Page 2

April Dry and Cold

NOTES ON THE WEATHER General notes: April was fairly dry ; and cold with frequent southerly ? winds. The cooler temperatures now ? prevailing have checked most garden I growth. Tho chief dairying districts ' report ample feed with pastures still ■ growing slightly but production is , dwindling. Supplementary fodder ■ supplies fpr the winter are mainly 5 satisfactory, but in some cases turnip and rape crops have not recovered from the effects of moth and insect earlier in the year. Seasonal cultivation and the autumn wheat sowings have suffered few interruptions. Rainfall: The totals were below nor--1 mal over most of the country, the disi tribution being somewhat erratic on l account of the showery nature of the precipitation. Falls were very light in Auckland, northern Taranaki, and the ( Manawatu, as well as in Nelson, Alarli borough and north Canterbury. On the , j other hand, moderate excesses occurred • jin south Canterbury and from Dunedin southwards. Average values were | attained in a small district near TaiImpe and also in a few exposed stations 1 on the eastern coast of Wellington and (Hawke’s Bay Provinces. Temperatures: In contrast with re- ! cent mouths, mean temperatures were i everywhere colder than normal, and i while departures were only about one t degree in some eastern districts they frequently increased to three or four . •degrees towards the west. Fros’ts were , fairly numerous but were not unusually ■ excessive. t Sunshine: Except in tho far south, [ the duration of bright sunshine equalled or exceeded average values, . Nelson and Blenheim having substantial surpluses. | Weather sequence: For the first five days westerly depressions gave windy (and showery periods with gales in many i districts on the 3rd. After the eastward passage on the 6th and 7th of a low pressure trough, strong southwesterlies prevailed, rain being widespread while snow fell in tho ranges and down to lower levels in the south. B tho 10th tho situation was one of tho westerly type, north-westerly winds becoming very gusty on the 12th, and temperatures were milder. As an in-

tense anti-cyclone centred near Tasmania, extended over the Tasman Sea, a southerly change set in on the 18th and a secondary disturbance brought stronger winds on the following day. Except in Westland and Auckland, the weather was cold and squally with wintry showers. Winds dscreased slowly while conditions improved from the south, the anti-cvclone which had been centred well to the south being over New Zealand on the 18th. Winds from between west and south-west predominated as several minor disturbance* passed, but one of these was accompanied by a cold and squally southerly on the 23rd after which conditions improved rapidly. From the 27th onward an anti-cyclone was centred immediately to the east of the South Island and pressure was relatively high to the south-west while a depression that developed near Lord How’e Island, remained almost stationary in the Central Tasman Sea. Over New Zealand easterly winds predominated, cloud and mist increasing, especially in the east and in the far north, whore there was occasional drizzle.