RAINFALL IN 1943

Timaru Herald, Volume CLV, Issue 22784, 7 January 1944, Page 4

RAINFALL IN 1943

Timaru Figures Below Average

Statistics Since 1897

Rain fell in Timaru on 121 days in 1943 to make a total of 21.72 in„ compared with 19.03 in. for 94 wet days in 1942. In 1941 112 wet days made an annual total of 20.19 in.

The 1940 rainfall totalled 21.76 in. for 101 wet days, but 1939 was abnormally dry. ram falling on only 91 days to contribute to a total of 13.54 in. Tire year 1938 was a distinct contrast, rain on 129 days making a total fall of 40.05 in., nearly double the Timaru annual average. The heaviest monthly fall in 1943 occurred in September, when 21 wet days made a total of 5.04 in. April. May and July were comparatively dry. Details for 1943 are as follows, the number of wet days being shown in parentheses:—January 2.61 (9), February 1.48 (13). March 2.50 <9>. April .88 (8). May .38 <6>. June 2.41 (14), July .91 (7), August 1.13 <B>. September 5.04 (21), October 2.26 (10), November 1.41 (10). and December .71 (6); total 21.72 (121). Details of the annual rainfall since 1938. with the number of days on which rain fell in parentheses, are as follows:—l943 21.72 in. (121). 1942 19.03 in, (94). 1941 20.19 in. ixl2l, 1940 21.76 in. (101), 1939 13.54 in. (91). 1938 40.05 in. (129). Owing to the absence of the Timaru Borough Curator (Mr A. W. Anderson) in camp last year, complete records of the hour's of sunshine at the meteorological station at the Timaru Gardens were not kept, so it is not possible to give comparative data to support the claim of “Sunny Timaru.” Rainfall Figures The comparative rainfall figures for the last four years are:— 1943 1942 1941 1940

Annual Rainfall The yearly rainfall totals since records were first taken in 1897 are:—

January . . 2.61 1.70 1.58 2.80 February . . 1.48 2.65 1.06 2.23 March . . . 2.50 .79 4.96 1.26 April . . . . .88 .31 .35 241 Mav . . . .38 2.89 1.26 3.18 June . . . . 2.41 .17 1.12 .36 July . . . . .91 1.37 .84 .27 August . . . 1.13 .44 3.03 .65 September . 5 04 .69 1.41 4.36 October . 2.26 3.42 1.37 .94 November . 1.41 1.98 1.06 1.43 December . .71 2.62 2.15 1.87 —— — - , — Totals . 21.72 19.03 20.19 21.76

Year Rainfall Year Rainfall 1897 12.57 1920 27.85 1898 22.29 1921 21.32 1899 29.85 1922 18.06 1900 23.38 1923 22.32 1901 19.03 1924 19.55 1902 31.03 1925 20.63 1903 22.13 1926 13.73 1904 28.02 1927 20.58 1905 25.93 1923 22.55 1906 17.29 1929 23 46 1907 17.46 1930 22.51 1908 29.10 1931 15.61 1909 24.98 1932 26.01 1910 18.32 1933 20.06 1911 28.52 1934 25.85 1912 27.78 1835 19.25 1913 24.82 1936 30.80 1914 16.92 1937 23.51 1915 12.36 1938 40.05 1916 19.32 1939 13.54 1917 28.31 1940 21 76 1918 21.45 1941 20.19 1919 25.99 1942 1943 19.03 21.72