APRIL WAS WARM AND DRY MONTH.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18452, 1 May 1928, Page 4

APRIL WAS WARM AND DRY MONTH.

RAIN FELL MOSTLY ON LAST FEW DAYS.

April was a month of contrasts as far as the weather was concerned. There were many calm periods and many boisterous ones. The rainfall was 35 per cent below normal and what rain there was fell mainl> r last night, when the biggest fall so far this year was recorded. Coming from the east, this warm rain will prove of great benefit to dried-up gardens. It is most unusual to get rain from the east after a dry spell, a sou’-wester being the rule. The daily recordings show that weather conditions generally improved late in the morning. No nor’-westers were recorded at 9.30 a.m., the excess of temperature being due to the several days on which nor'-westers sprang up later in the day. Two damaging frosts were recorded. The last few days showed a most marked range in barometer readings. Between 9.30 a.m. yesterday and 9.30 a.m. to-day the range was 1.088, one of the largest recorded in Christchurch for so short a period. The figures are:— Barometer,

Mean Maximum * 30.031 30.397 Minimum 29.461 936 Temperature in Shade. Approximate mean temperature 56 4 Mean maximum on April 6 .. 77.9 Mean minimum on April 22 .. 36.4 .» 41.5 Exposed Thermometers. Mean maximum in sun Extreme maximum April 6 .... 134 Mean minimum on grass . .« 39.9 Extreme minimum April 5 • .... . 23.5 Moisture. Amount of cloud . 6.9 Total rainfall . 1 238 No of rainy davs 12 Heaviest fall Apirl 30 . 0.710 The mean temperature was 2.8 degrees above normal and the rainfall 35 per cent below normal.