FEBRUARY WEATHER

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 57, 9 March 1937, Page 5

FEBRUARY WEATHER

UNSEASONAL CONDITIONS UNSETTLED AND COLD. LESS SUN THAN USUAL. [ Per Press Association. ] WELLINGTON, March 8. Though there were no very violent storms, the weather during February was unsettled and very cold for the time of year. The total rain was much below normal in the northern and eastern portions of the North Island, but there was sufficient in most places to keep the soil moist. In Hawke’s Bay and the Gisborne district, however, the westerly winds accentuated the rainfall failure and dry conditions prevailed. Stock are generally in good condition but have aone rather better in the areas where the rainfall was low than elsewhere. It was too cold for animals really to thrive well and in much of the South Island the softness of the feed has led to various digestive troubles and considerable losses of lambs. The milk yield is being well maintained. In Taranaki and the Manawatu the heavy rains were confined, principally, to a few days towards the end of the month, but in the South Island they began earlier and produced adverse conditions for harvesting, which has been delayed somewhat. In parts of Canterbury there are signs of sprouting of wheat in some of the crops. Several frosts were experienced and these, combined with the general lack of warmth, were unfavourable to many small crops. Tomatoes, in particular, have suffered considerably. There is still an abundance of pasture and supjplies of winter feed are assured for many districts.

Rainfall: In Taranaki, western Wellington, and the whole of the South Island with the exception of a portion of North Canterbury, the month was a very wet one indeed. Most of Taranaki and Nelson had between two and three times the normal rain fall, while in parts of Otago and Southland even greater departures were experienced. Hawke’s Bay and much the greater part of the Auckland province had very low totals. In the Wairarapa, conditions were more varied, but the departures from average generally small. Temperature: The month was one of the coldest Februaries hitherto experienced. Mean temperatures were everywhere much below normal, the departures increasing from about two degrees in the far north to about four at Wellintgon and over most of the South Island.

Sunshine: At most places there was less sunshine than usual, though where the rainfall was below average the sunshine differed little therefrom. Tauranga had 220.1 hours and Napier and Lake Tokapo each 218.8. Pressure systems: The month began with a fine spell while an anticyclone passed slowly eastwards across the country. From the 6th. to the Bth. there came a series of westerly depressions, the effects of which were felt mainly in the South Island, heavy rain falling in western and southern districts. After a very brief interval a fresh and a very long series began to pass. As the first of these depressions, a rather intense one, approached on the 10th., northwesterly gales occurred in the middle portion of the Dominion. By the Itlh. winds had changed to west or southwest, and from that date until the 18th. winds from these directions continued to prevail, and were frequently strong. During the whole of this period an anticyclone remained centred over the Tasmanian region while pressure to the east was low. General rains occurred with heavy falls over the South Island and about Wellington. From the 10th. to the 14th. tne atmosphere was particularly unstable and thunder and hailstorms were very numerous. On the 10th. a small tornado occurred near Opunake, while on the 13th. a waterspout was seen from Levin. Snow fell on the ranges, and there were a number of frosts during the period. A fine spell followed and the anticyclone previously mentioned finally moved eastward across the Tasman Sea and the Dominion. On the 23rd., however, another unsettled spell commenced. The pressure remained high at Chatham Island but rather low over New Zealand while anomer intense anticyclone developed over Tasmania, very heavy falls from Taranaki southwards. Flooding occurred in Taranaki, western Wellington, the Waimakariri River, and in Otago and Southland. In parts of the lastmentioned provinces the floods were,, very severe. j