RAINFALL FOR AUGUST.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVII, Issue 10242, 3 September 1909, Page 4

RAINFALL FOR AUGUST.

AVERAGE EXCEEDED. (Per Press Association.) Wellington, September 2. The total rainfall for August from a number of representative stations over the Dominion has been coded and telegraphed to the Meteorologist's office in Wellington, where the director has compared the results with the means for the same stations in previous years. It is found that the total rainfall was in excess of the usual in all parts of. the Dominion, excepting on the east coast of the North Island, between East Cape and Castlepoint, where it_ was somewhat below the mean. The North Island in general had an excessive rainfall, and when the whole returns are iu Mr Bates thinks the results will show about 75 per cent, greater than the mean for the month of August. The South Island, taken as a whole, had about 30 per cent, more than usual, but in the southern districts the rainfall was over double the mean for the month. August is reckoned to be the last month of winter in New Zealand, and in both winter and spring the North Island has usually a greater rainfall than the South. The first week of the month was the most stormy. A e\-elonical disturbance in the north was immediately followed by a westerly depression over the south. High pressure followed until the 13th, when the barometer at the Bluff fell an inch in 30 hours, and strong westerly winds followed. Excepting for a small, but sharp, disturbance on the 21st, the remainder of.a big storm from Australia, the weather was under anti-cyclonic conditions, with fine days and frosty nights, btrP" towards tlie close of the month the weather became very unsettled, first in the north and afterwards in the south. Tn the North Island the greatest rainfall was at Waihi —16.58 in on 27 days. Auckland had 7.13 in on 22 days; New Plymouth, 6.9 Sin on 23 days; TVanganni, 7.32 in on 29 days; and Wellington 5.46 in on 19 days. Hokitika had the greatest fall in the South Island — 12.26 in on 19 days. Blenheim had 4.81 m on 15 days: Christchurch, 2.40 in on 11 days; and Dunedin, 3.92 in on 8 days.