DRY RATHER COLD MONTH.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 March 1934, Page 2

DRY RATHER COLD MONTH.

WIDE VARIATION IN RAINFALL. ABUNDANCE OF WINTER FODDER. Following is the report by the Dominion Meteorologist for February:— Very dry conditions continued during February in NelsOn and Marlborough. The spring and summer in those provinces have been the driest on record and come as the culminating point of four dry years. There is a very serious lack of moisture in the subsoil, and the question of winter feed for stock is causing great anxiety. The west coast of the South Island also experienced a very dry month. In Canterbury, though the rainfall was below average, the humid conditions delayed harvesting. Towards the end of the month, however, the situation improved and good progress was made. Heavy rains were experienced in the North Island and were of enormous benefit to pastures. Over much the greater part of the Dominion herbage -is in the tender and succulent condition usually associated with spring, and an abundance of winter fodder is assured. Stock are generally in good condition and dairy yields have recovered to beyond the average for the time of year. Tobacco crops have been adversely affected in Nelson by drought and in other parts by excessive moisture. There has also been some damage to small crops and fruits. The only parts of the North Island which had less than the average rainfall were in central and northern Taranaki, the southern Waikato, and portions of the Auckland peninsula. Much of the remainder had twice the average and many places considerably more than twice. The' week from the 7th to the 13th was a particularly wet one, especially in the south Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Poverty Bay, Hawke’s Bay and central districts. In Hawke’s Bay the Tutaekuri burst its banks and severe flooding occurred in the vicinity of Meanee, Tara-, dale and PakdWhai. There was some flooding also in North Auckland, and the Bay of Plenty where Whakatane had a record rainfall for February. In the South Island some parts of southern Marlborough, most of Otago and the interior of South Canterbury recorded more than the average fall, the excesses being large in places in Central Otago. The rest of the island had considerably less than normal. On the west coast it was a particularly dry month. Westport had 1.05 inches and Karamea 1.47 inches only.

Except in Otago and Southland temperatures were below normal, the departures being largest in eastern districts of the North Island. Fairly severe frosts were recorded at some of the higher stations in Canterbury, but elsewhere there were practically none. The amount of bright sunshine recorded did not differ greatly from normal. In the North Island it was rather less, but in most of the South Island rather more. Blenheim had 240.4 hours and Lake Tekapo 236.9 hours. There were two principal storm systems which affected New Zealand during the month, each of which commenced as a vigorous cyclone in the coastal area of Queensland and caused extensive flood rains in the eastern Australian States. In each the eastward movement was very slow. The first appeared near Mackay on February 1 and, travelling slowly in a south-southeasterly direction, became a very deep and violent storm by the 4th, when it was situated west of the centre of the Tasman Sea. During this period there were easterly winds in northern New Zealand, and the unsettled weather which had prevailed there during the latter part of January was very slow in dissipating. After the 4th the cyclone commenced to fill. The remains of it passed New Zealand as a complex-trough of low pressure, which though shallow was responsible between the 6th and Bth for a general rain, which was the best experienced during the month. The southerly wind which followed the depression on the Bth and 9th was very cold and boisterous. Conditions remained unsettled to the east and north until the 13th. The second cyclone appeared on the central Queensland coast on the 20th and moved southward until, on the 24th, it had reached Tasmania. It there, like «fts predecessor, commenced to pass slowly eastward, at the same time filling. A low-pressure trough lying in a north to south direction was left, however, over the Tasman Sea, and while it crossed the Dominion, between the 26th and 28th, fairly widespread rains fell. Each of these cyclones was preceded in the New Zealand area by a rather intense anticyclone. In addition to the above-mentioned storms, moderate depressions passed between the 16th and 18th and the 20th and 21st respectively, but neither produced a great deal of rain.