ONLY 70 POINTS OF RAIN

Southland Times, Issue 23497, 2 May 1938, Page 6

ONLY 70 POINTS OF RAIN

Invercargill’s April Weather UNUSUALLY DRY PERIOD RECORDED April 1938 in Invercargill will be remembered as one of the driest months through which the city has ever passed. Only .70 inch of rain fell, and of that amount .52 inch fell on four days. There were 19 days without rain, and on seven other days the fall was more or less negligible, and could be regarded as little more than a trace. As was only to be expected with the fall so law it was well below the average for April. Taken over a period of 50 years.the average rainfall is 4.14 inches, and for the last four years 2.9 j) inches. It will be seen from these figures that the low rainfall for the past , month was an abnormal one, and its effect has been reflected in the water shortage in some districts and the electric power position. Not for one month, including summer months, during the last four years has there been such a low fall. The nearest approach to the figures of April are the 1.12 inches of September 1935, 1.37 inches in October last year, and 1.51 , in December 1935. On only two other occasions during the last four years have there been falls of less than two inches. It is interesting to note the compara- ( I tive falls of rairf for the four-monthly i period, January to April. This year the 1 total is 11.10 inches; in 1935 it was 19.09 I inches, in 1936 12.38 inches, and in 11937, 18.74 inches. {• Of sunshine for April 1938 there was 118.4 hours. These figures are believed to- be a record for the month for Invercargill. There were only six days without. sunshine. On 10 days there were periods of six hours or more of sunshine, the longest “burns” being recorded on April 7 and April 9, on which days there were ,■ nine hours’ sunshine, t The month was a mild one generally. Solar temperatures ranged about 90 to 95 degrees. The hottest day was April 2 when 119 degrees were registered, ana the coldest on April 15. On that day 79 degrees were recorded, the only occasion during the month when the solar temperature fell below 80 degrees. Frosts usually make their presence felt in April, but because of the abnormally good weather there was almost an absence of them. There/wasi . only one frost which was severe enough! to affect vegetation; that was one of six degrees registered on April 23. There were three other light frosts, each of one degree. No really stormy periods marked tne month. There were the usual westerly winds but none was of extreme velocity. An unusual feature was the big number of easterlies, the winds coming from that quarter for several days at a time. Following are the detailed returns as supplied by Mr J. L. Lennie, Government weather recorder, from readings taken at 9 a.m. each day:—

the rainfall The following is a comparative table of the rainfall for the past four years:—

WNMM ........ Date OCDC0-403CH4*03MH* O CO CO <[Q U1 CO M H* O CD 00 -*4 O3CH>UC0 MH* X-’die col co w ct co .£• ct oo oo oo -a ct or oa o<a ct ct ><a-CT CT cn cn oa cn d 1 cnoaifr- Cloud (0-10). CH CD -4 05 CD CD 03 CH CH 03 -4 0> 05 05 CH CH CH CD OS OS CD 05 05 *4 05 OS CD O *4 <73. Maw Drv TViATtYI 4*. co o -4_ 4*. cn m oo 4*» cn Mut hm<i *4 tfi»cn HM 05 oocn ch chh* iVidX< ury menu. 93 £t **=*• w w **■ 4>. 4s- w oo **“ tn 4*. 4* 4*- CH 4x £7 cn cn Min Drv cn co h* ->4 Pi co o co -WUI1. Ury inemL 4^4^kUWWWMMW4^4^004i.C*9W4^ ww 9? c *’ w C* 3 W (^.»£*.»^CA3Si!*ft rfx Tonrndninl 03 "«4 1-* 05 00 00 00 05 H* M 03 CH CO 60 M 05 <75 HOTH 03. CD CO CD >S» HpyO -4 H* IdTeS 11131. Solar Max Thprm *4 00 05 03 cn to CO M CD CH CD CO W.CO S 00 H* 00 03 cn CD “4 00 M CD CO ldi IVld-K.. 11 IVUli. Sol IJ S 1 1 183 | t 3 I g | 1 ° | | g IS | I I i j; | , | Rainfall (inches). | | , CD CO 03 7*4 7-4 - , M to OJ M I 4=“- CO 00 . CO CH CO 1 CH -q J 1 | 051 <4 O CO CH CH 4X ka 1 00 CH 03 CH | CH qq < g | .Sunshine (hours). m I Direction of Wind ' P 5 td M pl • tx| W P 1 tel ■'■■■’■■ td Pl is

January 1935 1936 1937 1938 Aver. 7.19. 4.10 4.38 3.73 4.85 February 1.53 2.33 5.88 2.20 2.98 March 4.90 5,22 5.41 4.47 5.00 April 5.47 2.73 3.07 .70 2.991 May 4.71 4.36 3.69 June 7.38 2.76 2.90 July 1.78 4.83 3.48 August 3.08 4.20 1.99 September 1.12 5.19 2.04 October 2.00 4.38 1.37 November 3.10 4.94 2.56 December 1.51 4.09 3.46