WEATHER SUMMARY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18850, 1 May 1923, Page 2

WEATHER SUMMARY.

A MEMORABLE MONTH. 'RECORD RAINFALL. The past month will be long memorable in the meteorological history of Dunedin as having provided by far the heaviest rainfall ever known here in one period of 24 hours. From 9 a;m; on Sunday, April ' 22, to 9 a.rn. on the following day, a. fall of 9.'020 inches was recorded at the Musselburgh . Pumping Station, and the resulting disastrous floods are fresh; in the memory of everyone. Comparison with past figures gives a clear idea, of the extraordinary nature of this fall; During the 18 years in which Mr Jacobsen has kept records at Musselburgh the daily rainfall has only on three occasions exceeded two inches. The previous record fall was on August 14, 1913 when the guago showed 2.550 inches. On June 21, 1916, 2.310 inches fell, and on July 21, 1913, 2.060 inches. The occasions on which even, one inch has been exceeded in 24 hours are few and far between. Or the phenomenal nature of the occurrence may bo emphasised equally well by reference to monthly figures. Since 1905 the monthly rainfall recorded has exceeded six inches on only four occasions. The heaviest was in August, 1913, wnen 6.560 fell, the other unusually wet months being September, 1917 {6.350 inches), December, 1911 ! *6;300 inches), and January, 1919 (6.200 inches). It will be seen from the figures below that during the past few years the April rainfall has generally been between one and two inches.

Rain foil'during the past month on 13 days, the total rainfall recorded being 11.580 inches. The following table gives the rainfall for April for the past six years as recorded At the Pumping Station, Musselburgh, at 9 a.m. daily. It will be seen that the fall in the first four months of this year is almost as large as that for the whole of 1920.

April, 19:23.-1, .110; 2. .150; * .380; 4. .020; 8, .240; 9. .210; ID. .050; 22, .760; 23. 9.030; 24. .600; 25, .010; 26, .020 ; 27, .010—equals 11.580 April. 1922.—1, .020 ;5, .050 ;4, .020 ;9, .120; 10. .080; 13; .020 15. .060; 17. -.490; 19, .210; 20. .030; 22, .040; 25, .260; 25, .420; 26, .020—equals 1.940. April. 1921.—10. .060; 11, .040; 12. .020; 13, .260; 14. .080; 18. .020; 19, .420 ; 20, .100; 21. .575 ; 22, .035 ; 23, .010; 26, .280equals 1.900. April, 1920.4—13, .020 •' 19, .180; 20, .200; 21, .060 ; 26, ,080 ; 27. .630; 28, .020-equals 1.190.

April,’-1919.—3. .060;' 4. .005 ; 8. 1.525: 9, .120: 10, .370;- 11. .020; 15, .160; Ifc .050: 17," 810; 19. .140; 21. .620'; 22, :580; 23. .040'; 24.- .500 ; 25;’" . 120; 26, .060 ; 27,' .060—equals ;4.980. 1 ■ April. 1918.—1.- .030; 3,’ .050 ;9, .070 : 10, .420; 19, .420: 2,0, .020 ; 23, (010; 25, .010; 28, .040—equals 1:080. April, ]917.-.1.-;330; 2. .070 : 3, .020 : 6.: .100; 9. .010;"10.. .01011. .606; 12. .040; 13. .040; 18. .120; ’23;’ .080: 24. .240.; 25. .180 : 29. .ICO--equals 1.400. ' The following table gives the figures for the past four - years and the first four months of. this year:—

1919. 1920. \921. 1922. 1923. January ... ... 6.200 1.200 1 540 3.400 2.245 iFebruarr ... 1.120 .240 1\220 1.060 4.200 March ... ... 1.020 .920 3.390 5.650 2.830 Aprilj 4.980 1.130 1.900 1.940 11.530 May 1.810 2.360 .980 1.560 June ... .380 1;800 1.840 . 2.420 July ... 1-620 1.240 1.400 1,780 August 5.210 2.580 2.020 1.700 September «•• 4.080 3.680 1.025 ,1.170 * — October 2.200 1.200 3:800 1(320 November .... 3.460 3.620., 1.140 4.140 December ... 2.260 1.530 4.120 3.440 Annual-. : —r3 — l rainfall > 36.340 21.560 23.376 28.980 20.905