THE WEATHER.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13103, 11 November 1935, Page 2

THE WEATHER.

OBSERVATIONS FOR OCTOBER. A WET MONTH. Notes on the weather ot October, 193.}, supplied by the Dominion Meteorologist, are as under: General : October can be regarded ns having been a favourable spring month, the main features of which were the generally mild temperatures and a plentiful rainfall, es3>eciallv in the last ten days. Ihe rain in-South. Canterbury' relieved the iear of severe loss through the prolonged dry weather and, by the close of the- month, crops and pastures had made a good recovery in that district. Over the greater part of the Dominion there was a vigorous growth of vegetation and consequently stock are in splendid condition, and there has been a remarkable inorease in dairy production. Rainfall: The total rainfall was above the* average over most of the North Island but below in the northern part of the Auckland Peninsula and at a few isolated places in the Gisborne. Hawke’s Ray and J araiiaki districts. In the South Island an excess was recorded north of Grevmouth and Akairoa, while further south there was a deficiency. The greatest |x»rcentago above normal in the North Island occurred at Napier, where it was 88 per cent., and in tie- South Island at Waiau with 93 per cent, above. In South Canterbury the aggregate was only slightly below* or just about the average. Tempera Vine : Temperatures were nearly everywhere above the average, although the departure was nowhere a great one. Napier had 2.6 degrees above, Auckland 2.2, and places in South Canterbury and Otago had over 1 degree above. In the coastal area between Wellington city and New Plymouth and at Invercargill it was very slightly below, while in North Canterbury it did not vary much from the average*. Christ' hrreh experienced a frost of nine* degrees on the morning of the 20th and one of eight degrees on the 16th, otherwise there were no severe frosts during the month. wmny districts reporting none at all. Sunshine: Owing to a considerable amount of dull weather during the latter part of the month sunshine was less than the average in most districts, the only excess being experienced in North Auckland, the Fast, Coast district south from Christchurch and in Southland. The largest total amount recorded was 215 hours at Napier. Tauranga had 211. Master ton 198, Nelson 193, and Christchurch 186 hours.

•Pressure systems: XJp till the 13th, although pressure was often high over the North Island, frequent depressions of the westerly type moved across the South Island. Consequently, although temporary changes to south-westerly occurred in places, the winds were mainly north-westerly or westerly and invariably strong about and south of Cook Strait. What little lain fell during this period was confined mostly to the western and far southern parts of the South Island, tiie weather remaining fair and warm in all eastern areas. During the night of the 13th a rather deep depression of the above type crossed the Dominion and by the morning of the 14th winds had become south-westerly or southerly generally, rain accompanying the change in most districts, with a drop in temperature. The raini all was only light and scattered in most of the eastern districts. A slightsecondary which developed off Cape Egmont during the night of the loth and crossed the central portion of the North Island on the 16th was responsible for thunder and hail at places between Taranaki and the Past Coast district of the North Island. A heavy hailstorm occurred in Wanganui on the afternoon of the 16th, the storm in the up-river district being a particularly severe one. During the next two days, while an anti-cyclone was crossing the Dominion, fine weather prevailed generally. On the 19th a rather sharp depression passed rapidly over the country and a southerly change which followed in the night brought rain, though chiefly light falls, t<» most districts and some snow to some high-level places in the South Island. Ry the morning of tie 2<>th this disturbance had disappeared and the front of a new

anti-cyclone had moved on to New Zealand, an improvement setting in generally. The 21.st was a brilliantly fine*, day over most of the Dominion, but by th<* morning of the 22nd the anti-cyclone was passing off New Zealand and an extensive and complex depression was approaching from the westward. The latter was the most important depression of the month as it was responsible for warm, beneficial rains throughout the Dominion dining the night of the 22nd and from the 23rd to the 26th. It was unusually slow moving, but winds associated with were fortunately not unduly strong. Ry the morning if the 26th the central portion of the depression had definitely commenced to move away eastwards, and improved conditions were in evidence on the 27th. The anti-cyclone which was following, however, unfortunately took a ‘northerly course, passing to the north of New Zealand, and a depression had extended on to the Dominion by the 28th. Consequently, conditions became unsettled in western areas, with scattered rain, heavy falls occurring in the Cook St/rait area on the* latter day. By the morning of the 29th this disturbance* had greatly intensified and its centre was

located east of the South Island. It had passed beyond effective range

on the 30th, but a new cyclonic depression had moved from tlu* northwest on tc the North Island. Dull, misty weather prevailed oil the last two days, heavy rains occurring in the North Island and parts of the East- Coast districts of the South Island, the Wairarapa and parts ot the Wellington district experiencing considerable flooding. The winds were strong and chiefly south-west-erly south of New Plymouth and Napier, but liortherlies and westerlies prevailed in the northern half of the North. Island. In Westland and Otago the weather was mainly fine during these two days.

Member of Principal Hoard (Sydney* of the A.M.P. Society, who is at present visiting New Zealand in the Society’s business. Sir Frederick Tout is a, prominent grazier. Solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales and a Member of the Legislative Council of the State Parliament. He also represented Australia at the ()tta w,a. C\n • feren re.