WEATHER RECORDS : MARCH, 1930.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XL, Issue 4, 22 April 1930, Page 286

WEATHER RECORDS : MARCH, 1930.

Dominion Meteorological Office.

General Notes.

March was an exceptionally dry month. Few places received half the average fall, and no case has yet been reported where the average was reached. North of Otago the mean deficiency was between 70 and 80 per cent., and it is only in the southern portions of Otago and in Southland that the departures from normal fall to moderate dimensions. Some places, such as Auckland, Oamaru, and Westport, had the lowest rainfall ever recorded in March, while at very 'many others lower totals had been recorded on two or three occasions only.

As would be expected in view of the dry conditions, there was an unusual amount of sunshine. The highest total recorded is 276-6 hours, at Nelson; but New Plymouth had 271-6, Masterton 261-6, Auckland 257-9 hours (its record for March), Napier 252-0, Hanmer 248-1, and Wellington 245-1 hours.

In spite of the fact that there was so much sunshine, temperatures were again below normal, this being the ninth in a succession of comparatively cold months. Frosts were rather numerous, and on the 27th and the 30th were severe enough to do some damage.

Owing to the heavy rains experienced in December and January, and the consequent luxuriant growth of herbage, the dry weather of March did good rather than harm. There was still an ample supply of pasture in most districts at the end of the month, and it was more fattening than at the beginning of the year. Crops of all kinds ripened well, too, and harvesting and picking operations were facilitated. At date of writing,, however, rain is badly needed.

The prevailing weather during the month was of the anticyclonic type, with its. characteristic clear skies and absence of wind. The anticyclones moved on an unusually far southern course, and several of them were very intense. Pressure systems in general moved rapidly and regularly from west to east. The storm systems experienced were, with one exception, of slight or moderate intensity only. Between the 6th and the 10th there were showers in most districts. These occurred mainly in the southerly winds following depressions of the westerly type which passed on the sth and the' Bth respectively. On the 23rd a depression of cyclonic, form developed in the Tasman Sea and good general rains seemed imminent. But on the 24th, although the intensity of the storm had increased, its centre moved southwards across the extreme southern extremity of the Dominion. Rain was fairly widespread and there were a few heavy falls in the South Island, but a general rain was missed. The depression was preceded by strong northerly winds and followed by gales from the southwest or west.

Edward Kidson, Director of Meteorological Services, ■ Wellington, sth April, 1930.

Fruit-export Levy. The rate of levy for the 1930 season is fixed by the Control Board at i£d. per case, a reduction of |d. from the 1929 figure.

No. J Station. Station. Total Fall. Number of Total Fall. Number of Wet Days. Maximum ' Fall. Average March Rainfall 1 Average March Rainfall A 'orih Island. orih Island. 1 Inches. T nches. Inches. Inches. 1 Inches. Inches. I Kaitaia ... Kaitaia .. ..0-83 0-83 4 40-48 0-48 3'55 3-55 2 Russell . . Russell .. .. . .1-03 I-03 7 7 0-62 0-62 3-i3 3-13 3 Whangarei Whangarei .. ..079 079 5 5 0-56 0-56 4-32 4-32 4 1 Auckland Auckland . .0-24 0-24 3 3 0-21 1 0-21 3-03 3-03

No. Station. Total Fall. Number of Wet Days. Maximum Fall. 1 Average March Rainfall. . North Island - continued. Inches. Inch-s. Inches. 5 Hamilton O’ 8 .3 0'36 3'88 5 A Rotorua ■ 1-05 4 0-59 3’51 6 Kawhia . . ■ ... 0 54 4 • 0-35 3'45 7 New Plymouth 1-i 1 6 0-62 3’62 8 Riversdale, Inglewood 2’37 .? 6 1-40 7'39 ’ 9 Whangamomona . . - 1-03 3 o-6o 5-61 IO Eltham . . . . • 1-07 3 o-6o .• 4-68 it Tairua . . . . 0-58 3 0'44 5’92 12 Tauranga 0-85 6 0-31 4-16 13 Maraehako Station, Opotiki 0-82 6 0-36 4'°9 14 Gisborne o-37 . 2 0-19 4'5i 15 Taupo 0'45 3 0-25 3’25 16 Napier ’ . . . 0-18 2 0-13 3'29 17 Maraekakaho Stn., Hastings 3-10 18 Taihape .. . . 0-14 4 0-04 2'95 19 Masterton . . ... 0-51 5 0'33 3’15 20 Patea . . i’73 6 I-IO 3-62 21 Wanganui .. . ... 0-63 2 °'55 2-62 22 Foxton . . .. .. o-88 4 o-68 2 20 23 Wellington (Karori Reservoir) 046 4 0-32 348 South Island. 24 Westport . . 1 56 9 0-52 7’5° 25 Grey mouth 3’7i 13 0-90 8-70 26 Hokitika 4-07 15 1-02 9'7° 27 Ross 4-61 11 0’94 io-35 28 Arthur’s Pass 9'74 29 Okuru .. 8'90 7 5'io 1548 30 Collingwood . . . ■ 4-19 31 Nelson . . 0-43 2 0-42 3-08 32 Spring Creek 0-06 3 0-02 2-16 33 Tophouse 0’55 3 ' 0'35 4’33 34 Hamner Springs . . 0-64 5 o-39 2-89 35 Highfield, Waiau . . 1'04 4 0'42 3'00 36 Gore Bay 0-96 5 0'45 2-29 • 37 Christchurch .. .. ■ 0-52 6 0'35 2-05 38 Timaru . . . . ■ • 1-06 9 0-58 2’31 39 Lambrook Station, Fairlie . . 0-28 2 0-15 247 4° Benmore Station, Clearburn 0-29 6 0-09 2-69 41 Oamaru ... -. 0-16 4 0-06 i’73 42 Queenstown .... 1’33 6 0'37 2'6o 43 Clyde ( .. o' 19 4 O' 60 i'5o 44 Dunedin .. 0’73 9 0-25 2-98 45 Wendon . . ■ . 2-15 10 0-62 2-68 46 Gore .’ . 1-85 11 o-44 3’27 47 Invercargill 342 . 19 0-90 3-90 48 Puysegur Point 5’63 22 0'97 8-00 49 Half-moon Bay .. 4’49 16 0-91 5'79

Rainfall for March, 1930, at Representative Stations.