METEOROLOGICAL REPORT

Otago Witness, Issue 4048, 13 October 1931, Page 59

METEOROLOGICAL REPORT

WEATHER IN SEPTEMBER WELLINGTON, October 7. The summary on the weather for September by Mr B. V. Pemberton, acting meteorological officer, states that September proved a most unsettled month, and hopes that the winter type of weather had departed with August were not ful hl.ed. lhe temperatures were decidedly cold, particularly during the first half oi the month, and once again they were less than normal throughout the greater pai t ot the Dominion. In some districts indeed it was the coldest September experienced since records had been kept. This was the case in Wellington, where the differ ence below normal was 3.3 degrees F.. ■while at Christchurch it was as much as 4.1 degrees F. A marked feature of the month was the predominance of southerly winds. Al though usually they were only moderate in force, those on the sth and 6th and on the 9th were severe. One of the most serious effects of such southerly rain storms at this time of the year was an inevitable mortality amongst lambs in the Canterbury and Waikato districts. Tip loss was fairly considerable, as it was also in some of the high country stations where snow accompanied the southerlies Vegetation was much slower in growto than is usual in this season, some pas hires which had been eaten down showing little signs of filling up, but towards the latter part of the month, when there was a tendency, for milder conditions, there was a distinct improvement in this re spect.

The cold and an insufficient growth ol grass were reflected in the deteriorated condition of stock, and consequently dairy herds should yield much below the aver age. The rainfall was above the normal over the North Island, except in the northern portion of the Auckland Penin sula and on the west side of Mount Eg mont. Totals above the average were also experienced along most of the east coast of the South Island, but all the western half of Otago and the high country had a deficiency. A few places in Westland had less than half the usual amount, while Arthur’s Pass recorded only 19 per cent, of its average.

d 73 3 5 Station. M C 25 £ o a. 3 in. in. 1—Kaitaia 2.40 5.25 2—Russell 2.43 2.87 4.19 3—Auckland 5.12 3.30 3.68 4—Tauranga 4.48 3.18 4.43 5—Tairua 5.70 3.31 4.75 6—Kawhia S.03 3.58 4.58 7—Maraehako Station, Opotikl 3.74 4.26 8—Hamilton 5.51 2.95 4.41 9—Taupo 4.06 3.04 3.94 10—Gisborne 3.93 1.18 2.95 11—New Plymouth .. 5.23 4.84 5.40 12—Whangamomona 9.05 5.87 7.32 13—Taihape 5.05 2.36 3.16 14—Napier 3.64 0.49 2.17 15—Patea 5.60 3.70 3.64 16—Wanganui 2.92 2.93 17—Masterton 3.27 2.05 3.05 18—Foxton 3.44 2.65 2.47 19 —W ellington .. .. 3.79 2.23 3.11 SOUTH ISLAND.

o a si c= 3 tea ~ o & Station. > . — £ G t c. c td ££ £ O * « « in. in. in. 20 —Collingwood 8.188.91 9.77 21 —Nelson 2.45 3.43 3.76 22—Spring Creek, Bienlieini 2.41 1.63 2.77 23—Westport 8.23 11.86 8.30 24—Tophouse 4.47 5.95 25—Greymouth a a a a 6.40 9.74 8.15 26—Hokitika 4.50 10.91 9.33 27 —Gore Bay 2.94 0.50 3.01 28—Arthur’s Pass . a _ _ 3.00 7.44 15.91 29—Christchurch 2.16 1.50 1.73 30—Lambrook Station, Fairlie 1.66 1.36 2.19 31—Okum, S. Westland . . 11.89 16.39 12.60 32 —Timaru 2.06 1.80 1.93 33—Oamaru 1.29 2.67 1.65 34 —Benmore Sts t i o n. Clearburn a a 1.65 1.71 2.14 35 —Queenstown a a a a 2.99 2.43 2.55 36—Clyde a a 1.02 1.14 1.04 37—Dunedin 2.88 4.63 2.76 38 —Invercargill 3.16 3.52 3.28