JANUARY WEATHER

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 7 February 1928, Page 6

JANUARY WEATHER

DRY OVER WHOLE DOMINION 1 OFFICIAL REVIEW (United Press Association) WELLINGTON". This Day. The Government Meteorologist sup plies the following notes on tfhe wea ther for Januarv 1928 :

The past month has been notable lor the exceptionally dry conditions experienced over the 'whoie of the Dominion. The deficiency of rainfall is most serious in districts with n westerly aspect, following iis it does on a dry December. No vigorous low pressure disturbance affected any part of the New Zealand re gion. During the course of the month on several occasions storms developed in Australia which would normally have brought general rains to this country. In each instance, however, although some slight effect was felt, pressure changes were reduced to shallow waves by tlic. time the disturbance crossed the Dominion. The most important of these waves passed on, Ist to 2nd and 26th January, respectively. Each produced moderate raitis in parts of the West Coast districts, with scattered showers elsewhere.

Tile dominant feature of the, pressure disturbance- has been the persistence of high pressure especially in the north. Anticyclones were actually centred over or near New Zealand on, Ist. find, 4th. 6th, Bth, 12th, 14th, 23rd and 29th, 31st respectively. Dry warm, sunny, and droughty weather was experienced as the direct consequence of these anticyclonic conditions, The mean pressure was the highest recorded for January at Wellington.

On the whole there has been a relative absence of wind, but between 16th and 19tli, while a rather intense anti-cyclone lay across the South Island, strong easterly winds blew over the' North Island, frequently reaching gale force in the far north and causing showery weather in Auckland peninsular.

The month has been the driest Jannary on record in southern Auckland, Taranaki, and parts of the Manawatu, Nelson and Marl borough districts. Ai the end nf the month, owing to the jvevious plentiful growth of feed, the effects of the drought had not in general been severely felt. In large parts of the North Island, however, especially in the centra 1 and th" westorn portions, (he milk returns had fallen off considerably. Elsewhere, although pastures were becoming parched, compensations were provirjeil in satisfactory maturing of grain, and fruit crops, and the season has been a good one.

Should rain not fall by the middle of February, however, many districts will suffer severely.