FEBRUARY WEATHER

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 10, 7 March 1930, Page 6

FEBRUARY WEATHER

METEOROLOGICAL REVIEW A DRY MONTH. WELLINGTON, March G. The following notes on February weather have been supplied by Dr Kidsou, Director of Meteorological Department. The contrast to Die preceding month of February was a very dry one over the greater part of the Dominion. Tho whole of the South Island, with the exception of Puyscgur Point, had a low rainfall, the deficiency being greatest in North Canterbury. .Marlborough, Nelson and Westland Provinces. Most of the North Island, also, experienced less than the average, but. considerable excess was recorded in East Coast portion,, from Port v Bay north and throughout the Auckland Peninsula. Thin effect was brought about bv the predominance of southerlies; wind- which were associated with cyclones passing to the north of the Dominion. Good Grass Growth. Even in those districts where rain was scanty the growth of grass was well maintained throughout, the effect of the lack of rain was small owing to the heavy falls in previous months, to the absence of drying winds and to tho cool, and somewhat changeable, weather which had prevailed. Indeed, conditions wore, at times, more like spring than of summer type. On the whole, tho month was favourable to all classes of stock. Dairy herds have milked well; sheep and lambs thrived in most districts. The latter, however, have not fattened as well as might have boon expected at this season of the year, owing to the rankness and softness of the pastu>’' i . Reports indicate good crop yields, but the absence of warm sunshine has caused harvesting to be much later than usual. In many cases, root crops have done remarkably well, tho weather having been most favourable to this class of crop. The mean temperature was again markedly below normal for although there were many warm days, and nights were invariably cool, the pressure systems responsible for periods of unsettled weather were mainly cyclonic in form. Auckland, Bay of Plenty and Poverty Bay districts experienced a considerable rainfall bcwccu February 1 and 5, while a cyclone was located to the north-east of Cape Maria van Dieman. This disturbance passed rapidly away on the night of February 3 and, from then on to February 13, the dominating influence was a slow moving and fairly intense anti-cyclone. Except in the areas, and during the period mentioned, line weather of unusual brilliancy was experienced over the Dominion until February 13, Only two depressions of the westerly type were recorded during (ho month —one on, February 16 and the other on the night of February 23, Tho former followed closely on a cyclone which had moved gradually across the Northern Tasman Sea and crossed the North Island during tho night of February 15. Heavy rain was associated with this cyclone in the North Island on February 13, 14. and 13, more especially in the northern and East Coast portions, where some floods occurred at places. Eleven Inches of Rain. The observer at Maraehakd Station, in the Bay of Plenty measured 11 inches of rain on February 33. A second very tine spell sot in on February 25 and continued to the close of the month. At this time there was evidence of an intense tropical cyclone operating to the northeast of New Zealand. It was too far away to have any general unfavourable effect on the Dominion’s weather, but some scattered rain fell in the Auckland and East Cape districts and on tho afternoon of February 28 “a severe thunderstorm occurred in the neighbourhood of Taumarunui A house at To Koura suffered considerable damage by lightning. The verandah collapsed and the front of the house was scorched.