RAINFALL LAST YEAR WAS BELOW AVERAGE OF LAST 25 YEARS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18044, 3 January 1927, Page 9

RAINFALL LAST YEAR WAS BELOW AVERAGE OF LAST 25 YEARS.

WEATHER REPORT FOR 1926 GIVES INTERESTING ITEMS. For a quarter of a century meteorological observations have been taken at the Christchurch .Magnetic Observatory. The period was reached with the end of 1926, and during the time A-alliable records have been obtained which are becoming increasingly useful in many branches of the commercial and business activities of the city. The work has lately been in the hands of the director, Mr H. F. Skey, and his assistant, Mr 11. F. Baird. The total rainfall figures of 23.846 inches for the year 1926 show a decreasp of 2.157 inches from the average of 26.003 inches for the twenty-five years just completed, according to the observations made during the past 3 T ear. For most purposes, consideration of the figures for the individual months gives the closest idea i conditions; however, for some purposes consecutive monthly and seasonal values are of paramount interest. Below will be tound tables in which the rainfall figures are set out in seasons, and for that part of the year up to the end of each month. For the purposes of the season figures it is necessary to commence with the December figures for 1925. It will be seen from these tables that as the year adA'anced the deficiencies for successive seasons became greater until the spring, when a

considerable increase above normal was recorded. The winter figures were as much as 53 per cent below the aAerage for that season; however, a dry winter is a matter more for jubilation than for regret. Although the total rainfall is low, the number of days on which rain fell is unusually' large; in fact, not since 1918 have there been so many rainy days in a year. March and July, each with 8, had the least number of rainy days, while May, with 20, had the most. The records of the Observatory for the period they' coA-er show that during that time there has been no calendar month without some rainy days. February, 1908, with two rainy days, has the least number for any month, likewise it has the lowest monthly total , fall of 0.042 inches; 1903, with 113, had the least number of rainy days, while 1918, with 155, had the most; 1917 had 352 such day's, 1926, with 149, being next greatest. The wind records show that, there has been an increase in both S.W. and calm weather. The number of N.E. winds was far below average. In June there were as many as seventeen calm mornings, a feature which is reflected in the fact that tw'enty-six frosts were recorded in that month also. Some frosts occurred rather early' in the autumn, and were all the less’welcome because of the late frosts of the 1 previous November; despite this bad » beginning, autumn became mild, so mild, in fact, that normal November conditions prevailed in April, when the mean temperature was 2.6 degrees above the average for that month. | The outstanding features appear to be that the winter months were very dry, and had an unusually large number of frosts—though not extremely' severe ones, while the spring months were very' wet, and somewhat below , average temperature. RAINFALL. ( The detailed figures for the rears 3 925 and 1926 are as follows:

The following fable sets out the rainfajl UP to the end of each month for the unin shows the 1926 figures as percentage of the equivalent mean year fig-

Dccembor I 26.00 3 23.84 6

i Month Feb. * Apr. Mb y JS.7 : Aug. 5r.r : {&: : 1825 1525 1B *?r. e 4* w :, l" y si • s ;• i:iil l i till n m II 1:11; II 4 II I! Totals 33.400 138 23.846 140

ures: — Month. Jan. J->h. Mar. jA pri 1 . . **fS*St r • S-?H 102G per cent. 11 Is June July August. September 11 - 21-T22 t'.Ht.S S«) ?S 3S.-S5S <1 15-295