OCTOBER WEATHER

Northern Advocate, 9 November 1934, Page 2

OCTOBER WEATHER

DOMINION CONDITIONS

The Dominion Meteorologist furnishes the following report for October:— General. With the exception of the first two days, October was very mild and equable. There was much less westerly wind than usual at this time of year. Conditions are rather dry in the eastern portions of the North Island, but in Nelson, Marlborough, and Canterbury the subsoil is thoroughly soaked for the first time during the last four to five years. Over the rest of the country, though rain fall has been on the light side so far this year, there is no acute shortage. On the'whole, October was one of the best spring months wo have had. There has been a wonderful flush of growth in grass and vegetation generally and the countryside has never looked greener. Stock are in good condition, although in some districts lambs have not thriven as well as might be expected. The prospects for fruit and other crops are very good. Some tx’ouble has been experienced in parts of Canterbury and Marlborough from excessive moisture. Rainfall. In Taranaki, Western Wellington, Nelson, Marlborough and Canterbury, rains were, in general, much above the average, though there were a few exceptions. Wellington City and much of Marlborough had double the normal total. In Westland the falls were for the most part about average. The remainder of the country received much less than is usual in October. Temperatures. After the 2nd the month was a*very mild one with no prolonged or severe spell of cold southerly wind. Nevertheless, mean temperatures were almost everywhere below normal. The departures were fairly large on the east coast but very small on the west. Sunshine. As regards sunshine, conditions were very irregular. Considerable departures from the average were recorded at numbers of places, but excesses and deficits appear to be about equally mixed. Lake Tekapo had 246.5 hours, Napier 226.1, Tauranga 215.5, and Blenheim 211.7. Storm System. The only storm of note occurred at the beginning of the month. At this time a depression was crossing the Dominion, and on the morning of the 2nd a deep cyclone centre developed over the Cook Strait area. Rain was practically general and in the western and central districts there were many heavy falls. Flooding occurred in Taranaki, Southern Wellington, Marlborough and North Canterbury. On the Ist, northerly gales raged at many places from Nelson and Marlborough northwards, and the Wairarapa experienced the most destructive gale in its history. The reason why this wind was so damaging is not very clear since in the higher levels and at Wellington, for instance, stronger blows have been recorded. It must, however, have descended with unusual force to the low levels after crossing the Tararua Ranges. Such a descent is favoured if the ground is unusually warm, and the fact that the night of the 30th September to Ist October was unusually warm at Wellington while a very high maximum temperature was recorded at Masterton, is in accordance with this.

A strong southerly wind and a sharp cold snap followed on the 2nd October and snow fell to low levels on the ranges. A moderate westerly depression which passed on the 9th was also responsible for a fresh fall of snow on the ranges but the precipitation caused by it was far from general. On the 12th another depression moved on to the country and. further movement being checked by an intense anticyclone to the eastward, did not disappear until the i6th. During this time rain fell in all parts but was particularly heavy on the mountains and in western districts. Several other depressions passed during the month but none were very boisterous or productive of general rain. Associated with one of these there were some severe thunder and hail storms in western districts of the North Island on the 31st.