WEATHER IN MARCH

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23619, 1 April 1940, Page 12

WEATHER IN MARCH

rain below average VARIABLE CONDITIONS WIDE RANGE IN TEMPERATURE Once against the promise of a dry autumn has conic t'o make up for a wet summer, two months of unusually high rainfall being broken by March, when the fall of l.lßin. was only half of the general average. However, tbe month was much wetter than the same period last year, which, with a total of only .20in., was the driest March in the history of observations. The weather last month was very variable. Although rain fell on 11 days, all the falls were light and there was no day without sunshine. In comparison with 199 hours 21 minutes for the previous March, the sun shone for a total of 15)1. hours of minutes last month, the 11th day having the greatest amount> with 10 hours 36 minutes. Temperatures were mtfch lower than those recorded in .March, 1939, the mean this year-being 62.98 degrees compared with 69.03 degrees, a lull of 6.05 degrees. The mean maximum of 69.28 degrees was also over three degrees below that for the previous March, but an extreme maximum of 81.2, degrees recorded on March 1 was much higher than the 76.8 degrees, which was the highest temperature last year. An extreme minimum reading of '16.5 decrees on March 12, compared with 56.7 degrees for the former period. Uniformly high barometric readings were obtained throughout the month', although the mean of 30.099 in. was lower than that for- last year, when the average was 30.169, and lor the vear before a.lso. Winds were generally 'moderate in force, with _south and south-westerly predominating. There was one very misty night and dew was recorded on 13 days.