REVIEW OF PAST YEAR.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LVIII, Issue 8955, 4 January 1908, Page 5

REVIEW OF PAST YEAR.

Mr S. Mawley, Ditton, has courteously supplied us with the following report on tho weather of the past year, to which he refers as "a year of floods and drought" :—The total rainfall amounted to 59.85 inches, the average for the past twenty-seven years being 50.40 inches. The driest month was December, when .62 inches fell; and the wettest was May, when the record was 10 inches. The maximum rainfall for twenty-four hours in the year was 4.98 inches on March 18th. The year 1907 opeued with the country exceptionally dry, and badly in want of rain, but the situation was relieved about the middle of January by a rainfall of' 4 inches spread over four days. February was a fair average summer month, with occasional showers. March had a very heavy fall of over 9 inches, including a downpour of over 6 inches in two days. Another heavy rain, causing floods, occurred on April 30th and May Ist, the rain gauge recording 6.71 for the two days. It is a most unusual occurrence to have two such heavy rainfalls in one year. The total rainfall for the three autumn months—viz., March, April and May—amounted to no less than 25.61 inches, which is a record. The winter and early spring of 1907, though wet, was noted for an absence of severe frosts and cold southerly rains. November had a rainfall of 2.16, the maximum being 1.41 on the 11th. Since that date up to the end of the year the total fall has only amounted to 84 points. December has been very warm, the average maximum temperature being 77.4, as compared with 74 degrees in December, 1906, the thermometer registering over 80deg. (in Stevenson screen) on thirteen days. The maximum was 91deg. on the 18th, and the minimum 34deg. on the 27th.